


Take the Stand

by everylosttouch



Series: Take the Stand [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alec and Magnus don't know what professionalism is, Character Death, Client Magnus Bane, Consensual Sex is Importantttttt, Crime AU, Edom Angst, Eventual Smut, Everyone Hates Camille, Extensive Crime Plot, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Graphic Depictions/Descriptions of Violence, Gun Violence, I don't know the legal system so shit's probably wrong, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lawyer Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Masturbation, Mutual Pining, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Police Officer Alec Lightwood, Prison Violence, Rimming, Shower Sex, Slow Burn, Trust Nothing Camille Says, Wall Sex, the handcuff kink comes full circle, the writer is an asshole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-21
Updated: 2018-06-18
Packaged: 2019-02-05 01:34:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 204,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12784074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everylosttouch/pseuds/everylosttouch
Summary: Alec Lightwood had his life together. He really did. A successful job at one of the most profitable firms gave him a world of opportunities. That is, until Magnus Bane enters the picture. With one of the riskiest cases in the history of the firm, no one has the audacity to be the defense for the guy. With all the evidence against him, it’s almost obvious that Mr. Bane will be sentenced to life in prison. But when Alec gets put on the case, he has to scramble to come to Bane’s defense, which means getting to know the guy.Will Alec be swayed by his over-eccentric personality and jeopardize the case? Or is it inevitable that this goes south?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!
> 
> This is my first official fic on this site, so a debut of sorts. Despite that, I've actually done a lot of writing in the past, but I've never put it online for anyone to read. This novel started initially as a Nanowrimo novel, and I enjoyed writing it so much that I wanted to share the story with everyone!
> 
> A couple of notes: this follows the Shadowhunters TV show for the most part. There are tiny odes to the books, such as people Alec or Magnus know/meet or tiny details surrounding the plot. This fic also features a lot about courtroom practices and law, but not all of it is entirely accurate. I try to stay as accurate as possible, but there are some things I look over for the sake of plot convenience. Lastly, this is totally unbeta'd, so if there's any errors, please let me know and I'll fix them when I can! I want to try and create a story that you guys will enjoy.
> 
> Please note that this story will contain graphic depictions of violence, as well as tackling issues with PTSD, panic attacks, and more. Please read the tags attached, they are there for a reason. Pre-chapter trigger warnings will also be posted for the chapters that are more graphic in nature. 
> 
> Thank you for your understanding and thanks so much for reading!
> 
> Edit: as of November 2018, the first 7 chapters will be undergoing minor editing! No major plot points will be changed, but minor edits will be done to clean up some of the inconsistencies.

How had he even gotten to this point?

It’s a stupid question, honestly. He knows the answer, how he stayed up far later than anticipated grading tests, how he practically passed out afterwards, how his alarm failed to go off, causing him to oversleep and rush to catch the morning train to the university. Nevertheless, he still curses at himself. He’s always on time. _Always._

He’s lucky enough to make it onto the overly crowded train before the doors close and it pulls away. He breathes a sigh of relief, pressing his forehead to the window of the doors before reaching into his pocket for his phone. He swipes left, opening the camera.

_Ugh._

His hair is a mess. Clearly his attempts at combing through it quickly with his fingers did not work. With another heavy sigh, he runs a hand through his dark hair, hoping that it’ll magically tame itself through the half-hearted motions. It doesn’t. He scoffs silently, shoving his phone back into his pocket.

“Alec?”

The chipper, light-hearted voice startles him a bit as he turns to the source of the voice. Sure enough, sitting on one of the benches is the fiery redhead he’s come to know all too well. Unlike him, she’s fairly put together. Her hair is done up in an impressive bun with a braid from the base of her hairline up to where it disappears at the edge of the bun. She wears the combination of a tight fitted navy skirt and blazer, with a white dress shirt buttoned up to the collar. She finishes the look off with a dainty gold bar necklace and a light dusting of makeup.

There’s not a damn hair out of place. She looks like a million dollars, as per usual.

Alec gives an awkward smile. “C-Clary, hey.”

Clary’s brows instantly knit together at his greeting, eyes taking in his far less put together appearance and frowning. She stands from where she’d been seated, letting another patron take her seat before walking over to Alec. The clack of her heels is loud in his ears as she comes over, steadying herself on one of the iron bars nearest to him. “You’re running late,” she starts plainly.

 _Trust me, I know,_ he thinks. “Yeah, my alarm didn’t go off.”

A smirk tugs at the corners of her red-tinted lips. “You? Oversleep?” she questions with a laugh, amber eyes lighting up with humor. “I didn’t think it was possible.”

Alec shakes his head, rolling his eyes with the action. “Trust me, I don’t plan to make it habitual.”

“That’s too bad,” Clary says, crossing her legs at her ankle. “I’m sure your students would _love_ to have those 5 extra minutes to cram for an exam every day.”

Alec snorts at that. “Yeah, we all wished we had that opportunity back in law school. But they’ve got to learn quickly that life isn’t going to always go the way you want it to.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

The train pulls up to the next platform within the next few minutes, and both Clary and Alec step off, taking a deep breath as oxygen fills their lungs.

“As convenient the train ride is, the smell is always unbearable,” Clary whines. Alec can’t help but agree as they make their way out of the station and down the street towards the university. “Are you coming to the firm today?”

Alec nods. “Right after I finish teaching, yeah. Lydia would have my head otherwise.”

Clary laughs at that. “I wonder what her big news is.”

A sigh from Alec follows at that. “With her, it could be anything. But my intuition is that she’s going to take on that big case we got in last week.”

Clary hums at that and they fall into a brief silence for a bit. Alec frowns to himself as he remembers last week, how Lydia had dismissed them early, closed the firm for a “special client”. The next day, she had mentioned a big case came in, and that she was weighing whether or not to take it. According to Lydia, it’s very controversial, bound to create too many problems for the poor soul who accepts it. She’s failed to take it or failed to assign it to anyone else, so for the time being, it sits aimlessly in their case files.

“Do you think she’ll take it?” Clary perks up a moment later, tone carrying a serious note. “Or do you think she’s going to assign one of us to it?”

Alec scrunches his nose, scratching some of the short hairs growing on the underside of his jaw before replying. “I’m not sure. Lydia’s expressed that it’s a very difficult case. She’s an exceptional lawyer, so I have no doubts she’d be one of the most qualified people to take it. But she’s also said that winning a case like this can also kickstart someone’s career, get them offers they may not get otherwise.”

“Like Supreme Court cases?”

Alec shrugs. “She didn’t say.”

Clary hums. “The possibility of a higher position is valuable, but that’s only _if_ you were to win it,” she emphasizes. “Personally, a case like that is a can of worms I wouldn’t dare to open myself.”

Alec says nothing more, instead holding open the door to the university law building before ushering Clary in. She lets out a soft _thank you_ before the both of them are walking down the halls, turning to the right. Alec places his hand on that oh-so-familiar door and—

“Alec, wait.”

Alec turns back to Clary, who steps forward briefly to help fix his tie and straighten his jacket. She beckons him to bend down enough for her to run her hands through his hair and tame the mess that he failed to earlier. She steps back and smiles.

“We can’t tarnish your stone-cold image now, can we?”

Alec can’t help but let out a little chuckle of laughter before he opens the door to the lecture hall, the both of them walking in with their heads held high.

The clamor of the classroom immediately falls silent upon them entering. He gives a quick nod to Clary, who walks over towards the left and sits in a nearby desk, pulling out her computer from her briefcase and setting up the power point on the dual screens sitting nearest Alec.

Alec turns back towards the chalkboard, writing the class name onto the coarse surface. “Welcome back to Criminal Law 101,” he says, turning back to the class with a serious expression. “Let’s get started.”

The law firm of Branwell & Monteverde is about a seven minute walk from campus. It’s a beautiful, sleek building overlooking the Hudson River and Jersey. The interior is impressive, filled with sleek, glossy surfaces and hushed, calmed tones in the walls. The décor is horrendously modern, and the glass paneled walls give the most breathtaking view from the lobby. Further in are their offices. Clary’s is to the left and Jace’s is the first on the right. Alec makes his way down the hall, opening up the third office on the left and spilling out into the familiar space.

His office is on the corner of the building, so unlike most of the other lawyers—with the exception of Lydia and her husband John’s offices—his office features two walls of floor-to-ceiling glass paneling. His mahogany desk sits in the center of the back wall of glass, greeting him as he enters the door. With a sigh, he trudges forward, leaving his door ajar and placing his briefcase onto the desk. There are a stack of papers already finding their way in his ‘to do’ bin, and with another heavy sigh, he sits down and opens the first file in the pile.

It’s barely even five minutes before someone pops into his doorway.

“You’re lucky Lydia has been wrapped up in a meeting all morning, or else she would’ve kicked your ass.”

“Good afternoon to you too, Jace,” Alec retorts, not even sparing a glance to his partner in crime. He scowls at the paperwork. “And I wasn’t late today, so I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“That’s not what I heard,” Jace teases. “Clary tells me you were late for your own lecture today.”

Alec curses under his breath. “I was late only one time!” he says in exasperation. “Why does everyone think the world is ending because I was running just a few minutes behind?”

“Because,” Jace says, walking fully into Alec’s office and sitting on the left edge of Alec’s desk. “You’re never late.”

Alec rolls his eyes then. “Perhaps that perfect attendance of mine has finally come to bite me in the ass,” he mutters under his breath. He takes the next moment to look up from the papers and up at Jace, who seems to be sporting the most God-awful maroon checkered suit with a solid black tie. Alec sneers. “Jesus, Jace, what the _hell_ are you wearing?”

Jace looks down at his suit with a mock frown, as if he doesn’t understand what’s wrong with it. “What? I’m wearing a suit, _obviously._ ”

“You can’t seriously be that oblivious.”

Jace quirks a brow. “Alright then, Mr. Fashionista, tell me what’s so wrong with it.”

Alec frowns as he meets Jace’s gaze. “Don’t call me that,” he refutes quickly. “Furthermore, I just have basic knowledge on what is and isn’t tacky. Isabelle taught me the basics.” He looks down and sneers at the suit. “I thought she would’ve taught you some things too, but maybe I was wrong.”

Jace scoffs, pushing off the desk. “Fuck off, Lightwood.”

“You’re also going against the dress code,” Alec points out. “The suit is checkered, and we’re only supposed to stick to solid colors.”

“But solid colors are boring!” Jace whines, turning back to him. He faux pouts as he sits in one of the leather chairs on the other side of Alec’s desk. Alec pays it no mind, however. Jace has always been like this, knowing very well what the rules are but choosing to ignore them intentionally. Alec’s still unsure how Lydia hasn’t fired him by now.

“So…” Jace trails, breaking the silence between them once more, “do you think Lydia is going to take the case?”

Alec sighs. “I’ll tell you the same thing I told Clary,” he replies, flipping a page to write a few more notes. “I think Lydia is more than capable of taking the case. She’s the best in court and has proved her worth. But ultimately, the decision is up to her.”

Jace hums. “Let’s say she didn’t take the case and offers it to one of us.” He looks up from his hands to Alec. “Would you take it then?”

“I don’t know,” he replies grimly, continuing to jot down a few more key details about Ms. Bundy’s divorce case against her playboy husband. “It’s a risky case, so I’d like to weigh out my options.”

“Risk doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Jace snorts. “Accepting that case is like saying ‘goodbye’ to your career.”

“Or it can open up an entirely new avenue of opportunity.”

Jace guffaws. “Alec, no. That case is _impossible_. No one with that much evidence against them could ever get out of a case like that without some form of punishment. There isn’t any possibility where he’d come out with a ‘not guilty’ sentence. No way in hell.”

Alec looks up to Jace, mouth open and prepared for another retort, but another figure in his doorway stops him.

“Mr. Wayland,” Lydia’s firm, authoritative voice interrupts. “I do hope that you aren’t patronizing Mr. Lightwood while he’s trying to work.”

Jace practically scrambles up from the chair, tugging on the ends of his suit jacket. “N-No ma’am,” he stutters. “I was just wishing him a good afternoon.”

“And you’ve done such. Now get back to work.” With another pointed stared, Jace scurries out of Alec’s office with a soft _see ya_. Lydia watches as he disappears down the hall before she looks back to Alec. She stands proud and tall, her maroon suit and black button up contrasting brilliantly against her long blonde hair, which stands up in a ponytail and accentuates her sharp features. “Good afternoon, Mr. Lightwood. I trust your lectures went well?”

“Good afternoon, Lydia,” he starts with a smile. “Lectures went fine, though I’m concerned for a few students who still aren’t understanding the basics of defending a client.”

“You get those,” Lydia replies flatly, eyes still trained on the paperwork in her hands. She doesn’t smile back at Alec, which is typical. Lydia is known to be a bit of a hard ass with cases and the workload, but damn if Alec doesn’t respect her. Lydia looks up to Alec for a moment. “I was coming to inquire if you were finished with the reports on Ms. Bundy’s case.”

“Almost,” Alec replies. “I’m just tying up some loose ends and then I was going to start looking over the preliminary findings for Tessa’s case.”

Lydia nods at that, seemingly satisfied. “Stop by my office when you finish Ms. Bundy’s report. I would like a word with you.”

Alec stills as she turns away, not waiting for his reply. He looks down to his reports, internally panicking for a moment as he wonders what the hell he’s done wrong to warrant a visitation to her office. Most of the time, whenever she calls someone to her office for ‘ _a word_ ’, they don’t see them come back the next day. He can’t count how many times he’s seen it before.

All too soon, he wraps up the details to Ms. Bundy’s case, picking up the file and rising from his desk.

Lydia’s office is down a different hall, and he has to go up towards the front to get there. That means he passes by Jace and Clary’s offices, and he doesn’t miss Jace’s _ooh, you’re in trouble_ tone as he passes by. Before he rounds the corner, he hears Jace perk up.

“You think she’s going to fire him?” Jace says in a not-so-subtle whispering tone.

“I don’t see any reason why she would,” Clary replies. “He’s the best we’ve got. You on the other hand…you might want to keep your fingers crossed.”

Alec presses a hand to his mouth, muffling the laugh that threatens to tumble out at Jace’s shocked gasp. He can hear Clary laugh too, uncovered and for anyone to hear before Jace mumbles out something under his breath. Despite being too far away, Alec thinks he already knows what Jace said.

“ _You’re the worst._ ”

“You wanted to talk to me?”

Lydia looks up from her desk when Alec enters her office. “Yes. If you could, please close the door. I have something important to discuss with you.”

Alec takes a deep breath in attempts to calm his nerves. He turns, closing the door silently. Turning back, he walks over stiffly towards her desk.

“Take a seat,” she says, eyes trained on her paperwork.

Alec wordlessly nods, sitting down awkwardly in one of the two leather chairs in front of her desk. It groans against his sudden weight, and the noise is loud in the otherwise quiet of the room.

Lydia finishes whatever she’s writing in the file and closes it, looking up as she folds her hands over top of her work. Her back straightens and her expression stays as neutral as possible. “I’m sure you are aware of the case that has appeared in our firm as of last week.”

Alec nods.

“I’ve been contemplating whether or not I want our firm to represent it,” she starts, pushing away from her desk and walking over towards the windows. “As you know, it is an extremely difficult case. Evidence clearly points that the man is guilty of murder, and it will take a tremendous amount of skill in order to convince the court he is innocent.”

Alec shifts in the seat a bit. “So…are you going to take it?”

“I myself will not,” Lydia states firmly, turning back towards Alec. “But this firm is filled with talented and skilled lawyers.” She walks back over to her desk, sifting through a bit of the files. “Taking the case is risky—yes—but winning it will pave a way for a multitude of opportunities.” She takes up a folder bound in a dark leather folder before placing it in front of Alec. “Which is why I am assigning you to this case, Mr. Lightwood.”

There’s a beat of silence that hangs as Alec stares down at the leather-bound cover sitting in front of him. He tries to form words—mouth agape—but he falters.

“Y-Your assigning _me_?” he questions, looking up at Lydia. “But I’m—”

“An exceptional lawyer,” Lydia interjects, “so much so that half the people who walk into this firm beg me to assign you their case.” She sits back into her chair, leaning back into it slightly.

 “But…” he trails, looking back down to the leather cover. “You’ve handled _death row_ cases and won. Surely this would be better suited for you—”

“I understand your concerns, Lightwood, but I will not take your excuses. Alec,” she states informally, leaning closer to him from over her desk. “The skill needed to tackle a case like this go far beyond just ordinary criminal law.” Her brows furrow together slightly. “Your skills are best suited to that, and he’ll have a greater chance of ever winning this case with you as his lawyer compared to anyone else.”

“But what if I fail?”

Lydia frowns. “If you fail, you fail. Not all cases are won easily. You take your loss and go. On the off chance you do fail, however, I will be taking the repercussions for it, not you. I assigned you this case and I will take all authority on that. If anyone has a problem with the court’s decision, I’ll take the heat for it.” She shakes her head. “I know how far you’ve come to get here, Lightwood, and I won’t let you take all the blame if the sentence doesn’t turn out the way we want it to.”

“What about my lectures?” Alec asks, taking the leather folder into his hands. “What about my other cases?”

“You may continue to lecture if you so please,” Lydia replies. “And your cases will be limited as you focus on this case. Because of the severity, I’ll allow you to take cases that are less intensive, easy to win. Not because I don’t believe in you, but Mr. Bane deserves your attention to prove his innocence. If other cases become too much, let me know. The same goes for lectures. Ms. Fairchild accompanies you to them, correct?”

Alec nods.

“Then she can take over if the need arises.” She seems to spot the defeated look Alec has before she reaches across the desk, her finely manicured nails coming into view. Alec raises his gaze to look at her. “You can do this, Lightwood. You’re an exceptional lawyer who always fights for your clients and their rights. There’s no one else I’d rather trust with this case.”

Alec looks back down to the leather binding, swallowing in attempts to ease the lump forming in his throat. He’s certain that this isn’t a good idea, that this case will be more trouble than its worth.

But Lydia believes in him, and she doesn’t extend faith out easily.

He sighs.

“When do I start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me over on [tumblr](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/) or on [twitter](https://twitter.com/the_biconic_mb) and if you're livetweeting, use the hashtag #TtSfic!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Alec's officially on the case, it's time to meet his client.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly thought about doing an weekly update, but with this story, I'm already halfway through chapter 11 and so I'm just going to publish chapter 2 today cause why not?
> 
> One of my favorite parts about this chapter is Magnus' witty banter. I love writing witty banter and bad jokes, so prepare readers.
> 
> Also, prepare for a ton of "Mr. Bane" , "Mr. Lightwood" Banter too ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Here's to chapter 2!
> 
> -Ev

By the time Alec arrived at his apartment, he was completely drained. Lydia had just assigned him to the most difficult case of his life, and there’s no way he could turn it down. When Jace asked why he was called into the office, Alec made some halfhearted lie about Lydia asking for his signature on some papers. It was bullshit and they both knew it, but Jace didn’t pry further…surprisingly.

For once in Alec’s life, he didn’t want to think about work. Yet everywhere he looked reminded him of the impending case. He was driving himself crazy.

Luckily, the world decided to grant him some consolation. The familiar chime of his ringtone echoed out into the apartment, and Alec rushed to pick it up. If he missed the call, he’d never hear the end of it. Pressing the button, he held the phone to his ear.

“Izzy,” Alec says, smiling into the phone. “What’s up?”

“Is that joy I hear in your voice?” Isabelle gasped before laughing it off. His sister, Isabelle Lightwood, was off poking around bodies in Brooklyn’s precinct, so he hadn’t seen her in a few weeks. She sounded happy. “I’m surprised, Alec.”

“Oh ha ha,” Alec mocked. He turned to the kitchen, searching the cupboards for something to eat. “You didn’t answer my question by the way.”

She must have been smiling on the other line. After living with her for so long, he understood most of her audio cues. “It’s been great here. The precinct is amazing and I feel right at home here.”

“That’s good. It’d be unfortunate if you hated it there.”

She laughs brightly. “I could never hate this place, you know that.”

“Yeah, I do,” Alec says, reaching up to grab a protein bar. He presses the phone between his ear and his shoulder while trying to open the wrapping.

“What about you, Mr. Full time lawyer?” She asks. “I heard from Jace something big happened at the firm today.”

“Damn it.”

“That bad, huh?”

Alec sighs deeply, placing the bar onto the countertop. He closes his eyes and runs a hand against his face. “Yeah. I basically got handed the worst case ever. There’s so much evidence against this guy, Iz. There’s no way I’ll be able to defend him, no matter how good they think I am.”

“Alec,” her voice is soft and caring, which he’s a bit grateful for. “You’re an amazing lawyer. Trust me, Lydia practically _raves_ about you to the board, which never happens. You can do this.”

He grumbles. “Even though the evidence clearly points to his guilt?”

“You always find a way to turn things around, big brother.”

Alec smiles.

“Are you allowed to disclose the name of the person you’re defending?” She asks. “If I knew a name maybe I could—”

“Bane,” Alex turns back towards his briefcase, opening it and plucking out the folder. He opens it and flips through some of the pages. “The guy’s name is Magnus Bane.”

…

Silence.

“Oh my God, Alec.”

Isabelle’s tone resonates in shock. Alec bites his lip. “Is it bad?”

“Alec, you seriously haven’t heard the name before?” Alec shakes his head, but realizes she probably can’t see him. “Alec, Magnus Bane was part of a really big gang back in the day. Like one of the head honchos. He went by the ‘High Warlock of Brooklyn’ for awhile. Does that not ring a bell?”

“…Fuck.”

It takes a good minute for Alec to piece it together. Of course Magnus Bane is a gang leader. Perfect. That makes this case even easier. Not like there wasn’t enough evidence against him in the first place.

“This is going to be impossible, Iz.”

Isabelle doesn’t say anything for a moment. “Alec, regardless of who he is, I believe in _you_. Whether or not the case works out, I know that you’ll try your damndest to do what’s right.” There’s a more hopeful tone in her voice now. “Don’t overthink it. Just do what you think is right.”

Alec smiles into the phone at her words, feeling a bit hopeful despite the weight of the case.

“Thanks Iz.”

~~~

Unlike the day before, Alec was not late today. He was actually quite early, but only because he wanted to get a head start on the Bane case. The more prepared he was before he met his client, the better off he’d be. So needless to say, here he was with a fresh brewed cup of black coffee sitting at his desk whisking through countless amounts of police reports involving the gang he had been involved in. He furrowed his brows at the name. ‘Downworlders’? Seemed a bit odd.

They’d done a lot of bad shit though, if he had to be honest. Downworlders was a very large gang, comprising of a variety of subgroups. He combed through various reports and sighed. The amount of reports itself was astonishing. It’s amazing they hadn’t been caught earlier.

“Alec Lightwood?”

Alec’s gaze snapped up from his work the minute his name was mentioned. He blinked at the stranger standing in front of his desk. He was tall with dark, bronze skin and black hair. He wore a fairly plain suit and Alec noticed the tattoo on his neck barely hidden by his collar. “Um, yes?”

“I am Raj Ablack,” he says, holding out his hand for Alec to shake. He has a firm, determined grip. “I’ve come from the precinct in Brooklyn. I believe you have arrangements to talk with Magnus Bane, correct?”

Alec’s eyes widen. “Did you bring him here? I thought he was arrested!”

Raj holds up his hand, and Alec quiets. “We did arrest him, yes. And thus he has been under our watch for quite awhile. Our private force escorted him here today to meet with you.” His gaze falls to Alec’s desk. “I trust you have a room we could talk?”

Alec nods. “Of course.” He stands, straightening his dark grey suit and black button up. He leads Raj into one of the older offices, which is usually used for interviews or discussions between clients. With no windows, it’s rather suffocating.

 _Perfect for a prisoner_ , Alec guesses.

“Right,” Raj says, breaking the silence. “We’ll be up shortly. Feel free to collect what you need for the briefing.”

With a nod, Raj turns and leaves Alec in the room alone. The knot in his throat is back and his hands are sweaty. Alec sits down before his legs give out. He suddenly feels overwhelmed. He is _not_ ready to meet Magnus Bane, not at all.

He’s not sure how many minutes pass until the door opens again. Alec ignores his shaky legs and stands fully as Raj enters the room. Behind him, a shorter male walks in.

“Sit down, Bane. Lightwood will be talking to you about your case.” Raj steps to the side to let the smaller man by. He looks to Alec. “Don’t mind me. I’ll be standing here quietly just to make sure Bane won’t do anything.”

“It’s not like I’m going to kill the only person who could help me get out of this damn trial, Raj.” The cool tone of the smaller man’s voice is surprising, so much so that Alec diverts his attention back to him.

Needless to say, Alex is blown away.

The man is _gorgeous._ He’s a bit shorter than Alec, but by no more than a couple inches. His caramel skin stands out against the dark shirt he wears, which is surprisingly high end. Silk perhaps? Alec’s eyes travel up his chest, catching on the multitude of necklaces draped around him. As his eyes climb upwards, he notices the goatee around his face which matches his dark, black hair. But what captivates Alec the most is his eyes. They’re rimmed with dark liner and accentuate his brown eyes. They seem to have a more complex color, but before Alec can determine what other colors, Raj coughs.

“Right,” Alec states, breaking himself out of his daze. He extends out his hand to the man. “Alec Lightwood.”

The small man gives a look to Raj, as if asking for permission. With a nod, he takes Alec’s hand in his and gives a firm shake. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lightwood. I’m sure you know who I am, but I’ll introduce myself anyways. I’m Magnus Bane.”

Oh god.

Alec blinked. _This_ was Magnus Bane? Damn, he really did exceed his expectations. He expected someone a bit more rough around the edges, a bit more….unattractive?

This was already going so smoothly.

Taking a deep breath, he sat down and nodded for Magnus to do the same. “Alright, I’ve had a day or two to take a look at your file Mr. Bane, and it seems you have quite the allegation against you.”

Magnus snorts. “Obviously.”

Alec winces at his word choice. He swallows despite his dry throat. “It says from the police reports that you’ve been charged on…” Alec doesn’t even want to believe the number as he says it, “seventeen counts of murder.”

The words come off bitter on his tongue. There’s no way that—

“Mr. Lightwood,” Magnus interrupts, leaning in closer. “I know the details of my case well enough. What I want is to know if you can help me.” His hand rests lightly on Alec’s forearm. Raj sends Magnus a look, but he ignores it.

A silent thought of frustration rings in his head when Magnus touches him. He can feel the heat from his hands through his jacket, but he really wishes he wasn’t wearing the jacket altogether.

_Get it together, Lightwood._

“So?” Magnus asks, arching a brow.

Alec releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as a gentle smile spreads across his face. “It would be a pleasure to be your defense attorney, Mr. Bane.”

Magnus looked a bit shocked at his statement, but soon his lips twitched up in a small smile. “See Raj,” he said, turning his attention to the policeman, “I only go for the best.”

Alec wasn’t quite sure what he was insinuating.

“Right…” Alec says with uncertainty. “Now in order to come to your defense, I need to know the details of your involvement with the Downworlders.” He resists the urge to smirk when Magnus’s eyes widen in surprise. “I’m aware there are a variety of subgroups in that gang. Maybe you could tell me a bit of your subgroups involvement.”

Magnus’s brows furrow as he glances at Raj. “I don’t want to say anything in front of him.”

“Sorry,” Raj apologizes, “I’m afraid I’m here to stay as long as you aren’t cuffed or restrained.”

“Then cuff me,” Magnus says, holding out his arms to Raj. “All I want is to talk privately with my defense attorney.” He scowls. “I didn’t kill anyone, and I sure as hell wouldn’t ever dream of laying a harmful hand on pretty boy’s head here, so go ahead and cuff me.”

Raj sends a wary glance to Alec before walking over and cuffing Magnus. “Keep your hands on the table at all times.”

“Yes sir.”

With that, Raj takes a step outside of the room, leaving Alec and Magnus alone. Magnus tears his eyes away from the doors and stares at the cuffs. “They’re no Pandora bracelets, but I guess they’re shiny enough to make a statement,” he jokes, looking up at Alec as a smirk spreads across his face. “Besides, being bound like this with a pretty boy such as yourself is a pretty kinky way to start the relationship, no?”

It’s at this moment Alec knows he can’t do this. The man is joking about kinks the minute the officer stepped out the door! And wait, did he just call Alec _pretty boy_?

“Yes, I did just call you ‘pretty boy.’” Magnus smirks at him, his tone somewhat playful. “I’m just stating what’s obvious.”

Alec feels a bit of heat build in his cheeks. He coughs into his elbow to relieve the tension that suddenly sprouted in his body. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat as he looks down at the file.

“You said you wanted to talk with me,” Alec croaks out. “In order to get a better handle on your involvement in the case, perhaps you should tell me something about yourself.”

Magnus’s smirk fades as he sits back in his chair. “You already seem to know about me from those files.”

“But these files weren’t written by you, were they?”

He notices the smirk reappearing on his face. “That they weren’t.” Magnus straightens up and clears his throat. “Where do you want me to start, Alexander?”

“How about your involvement with the Downworlders?”

Magnus makes a displeased face as he shifts in his seat slightly. A bit of silence hangs in the air between them before he speaks.

“I’m not involved with the Downworlders anymore. I left that lifestyle years ago.”

Alec blinks. “Really? How long ago was that?”

Magnus shrugs. “Five years maybe? Who knows. That lifestyle passes by in a blink of an eye, so it’s hard to tell.”

Alec nods, jotting some notes on a pad of paper. He looks back up at Magnus. “What made you want to leave the Downworlders, Mr. Bane?”

“I wasn’t happy there,” He states as a melancholy look crosses over his features. His dark brown eyes reflect sadness. “Though I did have friends there, I found myself displeased with my life, so I left.”

Alec nods. It’s understandable Magnus would want to leave the Downworlders based on everything they did.

“Could you tell me more about the Downworlders?” Alec prodded, lifting some of the stapled papers of the file. “It doesn’t give much information about the group in general, just what they’ve done.” He meet’s Magnus’s gaze again. “I understand you were one of the subgroup leaders?”

Magnus nods. “Back when I was a part of the Downworlders, yes, I was a leader.” He cracks his knuckles gently. “The subgroups of the Downworlders are complex. You have the ones who like to call themselves the Vamps. They mess around with blood and they’re a bunch of moody individuals.” Magnus leans his head back, examining the ceiling in thought. “Then you have the Seelies, who are mischievous and love to cause trouble. There are the wolves, who are so tight-knit no one really knows about them. And then there’s the Warlocks,” Magnus huffs with a smile. “They called us that because they couldn’t believe the things we’d done. They called us magical.”

Magnus chuckles again, and Alec does everything in his power to not gaze at the long expanse of Magnus’s exposed neck as he leans back. Unconsciously, his tongue swipes against his lips.

“Seems like a lot of little groups for one large gang,” Alec notes.

“Indeed it is. And we don’t always get along, despite what the reports may indicate.” Magnus directed his attention back to Alec. “I was the leader of the Warlocks, hence the title the ‘High Warlock of Brooklyn’ as you may have heard.”

Alec nods. “So then I assume you led a lot of the crimes related to Warlocks?”

Magnus’s brows furrow at the question. “No,” he retorts, “Unlike a lot of gangs, the fact that I was a leader doesn’t make me responsible for them. There are multiple high warlocks, but I’m just one of the many.” Magnus swallows. “They looked up to me because I was respected and I didn’t use underhanded methods of any kind. That’s the only reason I was a leader.”

Alec jots down some more notes, processing the information. “So then these reports of warlocks breaking and entering weren’t under your command?”

Magnus shakes his head. “Sometimes the newbies do stupid shit, Alexander.” He quirks a brow. “I’m sure you would know what that’s like, wouldn’t you?”

Alec chuckles. “The new attorneys do like to think they have it all figured out. But put them in a court room and they’re immediately knocked down.”

Magnus smiles at him. “Anything else you want to know?”

Alec taps his pen against the paper of his notebook in thought. “What do you do now since leaving the Downworlders?”

“Now? Now I’m currently having charges pressed against me, so my job is suspended at the moment.” Alec gives him a look, and Magnus rolls his eyes with a playful smile. “I was working with one of my close friends at his bookstore. He’s been obsessed with this specific event in Peru and—”

The door opens suddenly, interrupting whatever point Magnus was going to make. Raj wears a dark look.

“So sorry Mr. Lightwood,” Raj apologizes, “I just got a call in from the station and they need Bane back under controlled conditions.” He looks down to Magnus, who lets out a displeased sigh. “Let’s go, Bane.”

Alec looks to Magnus. “I assume they’ll be taking you back to the holding cell then?”

Magnus makes an amused face as a deep chuckle rumbles in his throat. It doesn’t make Alec’s toes curl, not one bit.

“Fortunately enough, I’m going home,” he states. Alec’s brows furrow. “They placed me under house arrest. I have police on my ass every second of the day, and I can’t leave unless I’m cuffed and accompanied.” He shrugs slightly. “It isn’t the most lavish way to go about it, but it’s much better than a dusty, dirty holding cell.”

“House arrest…” Alec ponders. “How did you manage that?”

Magnus’s classic smirk reappears on his face. “I know someone in the force who knew I wouldn’t last a day in the holding cell with the others.”

“Because of the glitter?”

“Well, that is certainly a factor,” Magnus states, examining the dark polish on his fingertips. “But that’s not what I was referring to.”

“What do you—?”

“I’m bisexual,” he finishes. Alec’s mouth shuts with an audible snap. There’s a chuckle from Raj, but Alec doesn’t acknowledge it. Magnus’s eyes trail over Alec’s figure once more as he says “Unfortunately in prison, that’s just asking for me to get jumped.”

Alec swallows. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for, Alexander,” Magnus assures. He nods to Alec as he stands up fully. “It was lovely to meet you, and I will call to set up another appointment soon to talk more about the case.” He turns to Raj. “Take me away, oh dark knight.”

Alec snorts and Magnus shows pride in making him laugh. With an eye roll, Raj leads him out of the office, leaving Alec to organize his notes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Needless to say, Magnus makes a pretty great first impression, amiright? 
> 
> Also, I hope the dynamic about the Downworld makes sense. Though they have the names of the creatures in the series, none of them have powers. Like since Seelies have a lot of fairy-like qualities, I wanted them to be sort of devious and troublemakers. Nobody in this story will really have any magical capabilities unfortunately. The names are more just for show. (hopefully that makes sense oml)
> 
> Next chapter will focus more on the main plot details featuring (gasp) actual case files and new information! Whoo


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The details of Magnus' case come to light, and Magnus finds himself in a bit of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! 
> 
> This chapter is pretty much the kickstart of the plot of Take the Stand. As such, the chapters from here on out are typically longer (about 10 pages in a word doc) since there's a lot of plot related stuff to muddle through. We'll start to understand more about the Downworld in this chapter and how Magnus plays into it too
> 
> (and like i said in the beginning, the legal stuff of this is probably all wrong but we need the plot to advance somehow lol)
> 
> -Ev

By the time Tuesday rolls around, Alec has already met with Magnus two more times. His first encounter with Magnus was more informational in terms of whom the Downworlders were and what his involvement with them used to be. But the last two times Magnus was escorted to the firm, they just talked about everything and nothing. Alec learned that Magnus absolutely loved antiques, which was the entire reason he agreed to work with his friend at his bookstore.

He also learned that Magnus loved parties and drinking. Before being arrested, Magnus threw one party that was apparently so wild that he woke up the next day on the roof. Alec chuckled at the thought.

“Someone’s rather chipper today,” Jace states as he walks over to Alec’s desk. Thankfully, Jace wears a regular black suit with subtle pinstripes. Jace nods to the files on Alec’s desk. “Which case is that?”

Alec’s brows furrow. “It’s my newest case, Jace. I told you that.”

Jace rolls his eyes. “Yeah but you didn’t tell me who’s case it is.”

“It’s the Magnus Bane case,” Clary interrupts, placing a cup of coffee on Alec’s desk. She holds another one for Jace, but doesn’t give it to him yet. “Didn’t you hear Lydia talking about it yesterday? It’s the reason Alec hasn’t been at his desk the past couple of days.”

Jace’s jaw drops as his blue eyes widen in shock. His eyes train on Alec. “What?!” He exclaims, planting his hands on Alec’s desk. “Alec, how could you? You _know_ that case is like kissing your career goodbye!” Jace frowns. “Why did you take the case?”

Alec goes to open his mouth, but another voice perks up.

“I assigned him to the case, Mr. Lightwood.” Lydia says, causing Jace to push away from Alec. “He’s our best asset towards the case, and I am very aware of what this case can mean for his career.” Jace goes to speak up, but Lydia holds up a finger. “I’ve made it clear that if the case falls through, I will be taking the heat for it, not Alec.”

Jace’s frown remains on his face as he takes his coffee from Clary. “Regardless of who’s taking the heat, it’s still an impossible case.” Jace looks back down to Alec. “I mean, he’s a gang leader, isn’t he?”

“ _Was_ , Jace,” Alec corrects. “He hasn’t been a part of that lifestyle for 5 years.”

Both Lydia and Jace share a concerned look. “Really? I thought it was hard to leave gangs.”

Alec shrugs. “Magnus managed to get out from it. And from the sound of it, he’s stayed out of it for awhile.” He looks down at some of the case files of the murders. “That is, until these bodies started showing up.”

Lydia frowns. “Have you talked to Garroway about the suspects?”

Alec shakes his head. “I was going to go today, see what they got in autopsy results and all that.” He looks to Lydia. “If Magnus has a solid alibi that shows he wasn’t anywhere close to them when they were killed, we’ll be taking a step in the right direction.”

Lydia nods. “Alright, Lightwood,” she smirks, “Let’s see what you can do.”

~~~~

Alec hates the smell of the morgue. There’s a multitude of chemicals filtering through the air so that the stench of dead bodies doesn’t spread through the basement. It’s freezing too, he thinks as he pulls at the sleeves of his navy blazer.

“It truly does amaze me that you can stand to work in such conditions,” Alec jokes as he walks past the threshold of the morgue.

Isabelle stands in the middle of the examination room with a cadaver on the table. The body has been covered with a white sheet, but it doesn’t make it look any less eerie. Isabelle perks up from the clipboard she studies at the sound of Alec’s voice. She smiles wide. “Alec!” She places the clipboard on the table to her left and walks over to Alec, embracing him gleefully. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Likewise,” Alec says, returning the hug.

Isabelle breaks the hug and steps back a few paces, her dark brows furrowed together. She pouts her red lips. “What are you doing here?”

Alec nods to the cadaver on the examination table. “I’m here to look at the autopsy for the latest victim that is associated with the Bane case.”

Isabelle’s eyes widen a bit before she nods. “Right, the Bane case. I almost forgot about that.” She gestures for him to walk towards the table. Putting on her blue gloves, she pulls down the white sheet from the top of the cadaver. The woman’s features are soft and startlingly beautiful, with dark black hair and fair skin.

“The victim’s name is Linette Owens,” Isabelle states, taking up her clipboard and handing it to Alec. “She used to live in Wales, but traveled here after meeting her husband Edmund while he was visiting the city.” She looks back to the cadaver. “She has the same bruising as the others, as well as indications of burn marks and scorch wounds.”

“It says here that she was poisoned?”

Isabelle nods. “Just like the others were.” She notes, taking back the clipboard from Alec. “And like the others, she has an affiliation with Magnus Bane.”

“Are you sure?”

Izzy takes a deep breath and expels it in a sigh. “Yes. Her husband was questioned the day she was found, and he confirmed that they both knew Magnus quite well.” She frowns. “Edmund said that Magnus did express interest in her, but after he found out that Edmund was already seeing her, he backed off.”

“And you think that’s a justifiable reason for murder?”

Izzy scoffs. “Alec, I’m not accusing Magnus of killing her. It’s just I’ve seen this kind of thing before, and so it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Were all the victims associated with Magnus?”

“You mean did he know all of them? Yes, he did.” She turns away from him and walks over to the wall, dragging out another body from the cell hold. “He knew this one especially. Dorothea Rollins. Gorgeous as she is, she was said to have a long standing relationship with Magnus. She has the exact same markings and was wearing this when they found her.” She turns to pick up a bag with the bold letters of ‘Evidence’ scrawled against it.

Alec takes the bag in her hands, examining the contents. “A necklace?”

“Not just any necklace. The Amor necklace.” Isabelle nods to the bag, “That necklace was very important to her, somehow.”

His fingers trail over the necklace in the bag. It’s a bold piece, gleaming silver with a bright red ruby in the middle. On the back there’s an engraving of the word Amor. Alec frowns.

“Can I take this?” Alec asks. “I want to see if Magnus recognizes it. If he doesn’t that’ll be a step towards proving this might not have been his doing.”

Isabelle nods. “I’ll just need you to sign this,” she says, handing him a clipboard. He messily signs the sheet before handing it back to her. Izzy nods before putting the cadaver back in the cooling block. “So,” Isabelle turns, smiling at Alec, “tell me more about what Magnus is like.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Why?”

Izzy goes to sit down on one of the stools near the desks to his right. She plants her elbows on the cold metal of the desk. “Because he’s all the talk of the precinct! And because I’m down here all day, I only get to see his handiwork, not the man himself.”

Alec presses his lips into a thin line. “There’s nothing to discuss.”

Izzy quirks a brow in curiosity. “Oh?” A smirk crosses her features. “You usually always have something to say about your clients.”

Alec rolls his eyes, sighing. “Just because I have nothing to say about Magnus doesn’t mean I’m hiding anything. He’s my client, and I’m supporting him in order to win this case; plain and simple.”

“Uh huh,” she retorts, leaning back slightly. “You must be getting to know him well since you dropped formalities and everything.”

…shit.

Alec didn’t even think about addressing Magnus by his last name. He had just been used to everyone around him naming him as Magnus that it totally slipped his mind. He looked back to Isabelle, who still wore her teasing look.

“It was a slip, Izzy,” he claims. “Look, I really need to get going, but thanks for the evidence and the information.” He turns to walk out of the morgue.

“Don’t think you’ll get off the hook that easily, Alec!” Izzy shouts as Alec passes over the threshold of the morgue.

~~~~

He runs into Magnus just as he’s about to leave the precinct.

It’s odd, because Magnus seems perfectly fine with lounging around the precinct even though he’s being charged for a multitude of crimes. He’s casually talking with a young woman on one of the benches, or as casually as one can with an over-emotional woman. She’s a blubbering, crying mess who’s raving about her abusive boyfriend. But Magnus doesn’t interrupt her; instead he just listens to her talk about how all men are trash and just nods.

“My dear, men will always be a little harsh,” he states, “It’s up to you to find the one who will treat you like the princess you know you are.”

She sniffles a bit before offering a weak smile. It’s a brief moment later when another officer comes to escort her out. Magnus waves to her as she leaves, soon turning his attention to Alec.

“Alexander,” He smiles at him, “What a surprise.”

Alec’s lips twitch upwards a bit. “Is it really? You know I have to do some digging when it comes to your case.”

Magnus chuckles lightly. “I’d rather you dig into something else besides my case, darling,” he flirts. Alec’s cheeks grow a bit hotter, and suddenly the chills he had from the morgue are gone. There’s a heat settling under his skin that only seems to rise when Magnus spouts one-liners like that.

He clears his throat. “I wanted to ask you about a few details, if you don’t mind.”

Magnus’s smirk falls into a more somber expression as he nods, standing up fully. Alec notices he wears suspenders which dangle against his thighs and against those sinfully tight skinny jeans. “Right this way,” Magnus directs. Alec follows him into an empty office, closing the door behind him. “Don’t close the blinds, or else they’ll have a fit,” Magnus gestures to the officers outside, some of which stare at the two in the office. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Does the name Linette Owens sound familiar?”

Magnus’s brows furrow as he nods slightly. “She was an old friend of mine. We haven’t talked in years, but I did hear she finally married Edmund,” he studies the table with a pleased look, “took them long enough.”

“Were they dating for awhile?”

Magnus groans as he leans back in his chair. “They were running circles around each other constantly. It was quite annoying actually.”

“Was it annoying because of your feelings for her?”

Magnus’s gaze snaps to Alec suddenly. “Though I’ll admit she was attractive, I didn’t pursue her at all. Edmund was clearly infatuated with her, so I dared not to cross that line and I let him have a chance at a happy life.” Magnus stares at Alec’s briefcase. “I’m guessing the files phrase it a bit differently.”

“Yeah…” Alec trails off. His tongue darts out to trace his top lip as he tries to phrase his next words wisely. He looks back to Magnus, who suddenly seems out of it. “Mr. Bane, Linette was the latest victim they found, matching the same MO as the others and also associated with you.” His brows furrow. “I’m not blaming you nor accusing you of lying, but I need to know where you were the night Linette went missing.”

It breaks Alec’s heart the minute he tells Magnus Linette is dead. The apprehension in his gaze cracks, and his shoulders slump slightly. His eyes grow softer, lips parting to expel a soft, silent sob. “Oh Linette…” He brings a hand to his face, brushing his lips lightly. Alec notices he trembles at the information.

This, Alec knows, is not the reaction a murderer would have to their victim.

Unless Magnus has a superb skill in acting, there’s no way Magnus could have done this to Linette.

“Did the police not tell you?”

Magnus shook his head. “I was informed about Kitty,” Magnus notes. “She was someone I knew from outside the Downworlders. Funny and charming, but also one hell of a con artist.” He studies his hands. “But I had no idea Linette was killed. It must have happened after Kitty turned up dead.”

Alec takes a minute to process that. “They should have told you. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

Magnus presses his lips into a thin line. “You didn’t know.”

Alec’s gaze slides down to Magnus’s hands. He would just love to reach across the table and take Magnus’s hands in his, but he resists the urge. “I knew enough, Magnus.”

Magnus gives another surprised look, but it’s different than with the news of Linette. He blinks a few times. “Did you just call me Magnus?”

It’s Alec turn to blink in surprise. “Oh, um…it must have just slipped out, I’m—”

“Don’t,” he interrupts. Alec tenses. “Don’t apologize. It just surprised me.” He offers a sad smile. “I actually quite like you calling me by my name.”

Alec bites his lip as he nods. “O-Okay. So then could I assume that you haven’t been informed of all seventeen victims’ identities yet?” Magnus shakes his head yet again. “Alright, I’ll get someone on that.” He closes the file and places it in his briefcase. “Magnus?”

“Hm?”

“I believe what you said, when we first met.”

Magnus looks around, trying to piece together the meaning of Alec’s words. He smirks gently at Alec. “Oh? So you agree that being bound in handcuffs _was_ kinky.”

Alec sputters. “N-No!” He lets out an aggravated sigh. “I’m trying to be serious here, Magnus.”

“Sorry. Please, continue.”

Alec studies the space between them. “I believe on what you said to Raj when you first entered the room, that you didn’t kill anyone.”

Magnus’s eyes go wide, his eyebrows arching upward. “You believe me? Why?”

Alec shrugs, offering a smile. “Call it intuition.”

Magnus returns the smile as he leans forward. Alec suddenly smells a faint scent of sandalwood. “Does your intuition say anything else, Alexander?”

He’s flirting again, Alec notices. He’s been in enough interviews and trials to know when someone is blatantly flirting. No matter how many one-liners Magnus gives, he still commands an impressive confidence. But luckily, Alec is feeling extra brave today.

He leans forward, the scent of sandalwood growing stronger. He notices the smudges of Magnus’s eyeliner and the faint gold specks in his eyes. Now up in Magnus’s personal space, he smiles back. “Guess you’re just going to have to find out.”

Magnus’s eyes drop to Alec’s lips for a moment before trailing back up to his eyes. Smirk still prominent as ever, he states “Oh, I plan to.”

~~~~

By the next hour, Alec makes his way back to the firm with plenty of information regarding Magnus’s personal life. Nothing too personal of course, but at least now he has an idea of who the High Warlock of Brooklyn actually is. It’s helpful information to know the client you’re defending a bit before actually getting to court. That way you aren’t making wild generalizations about the client and being totally off. He’s seen that happen countless times in court and it’s always embarrassing.

With a sigh, he sits back down at his desk to organize his notes. It isn’t long before he’s interrupted.

“Hey, Alec,” Jace calls out, appearing suddenly at the front of his desk.

Alec doesn’t look up from his notes. “Something you need, Jace?”

Jace purses his lips. “We’re going out for drinks after work today and—”

“Have fun.”

“Oh come _on_ Alec!” Jace whines. “You’ve been on this case non-stop for the past few days. Stop being a spoil sport and come drink with us!”

Alec glances up, his eyes asking who “us” entails.

Jace sighs. “Clary, Izzy, Simon and I,” he lists off. “We’re all going to the Hunter’s Moon, which is apparently this bar that is suddenly all the rage nowadays.” He gives Alec a look. “Izzy and I both agreed that you deserve a break, Alec. So come and drink with us.”

Alec studies his face before breaking out in a smile. “Alright, but only if you’re paying.”

~~~~

The Hunter’s Moon is a small, hole-in-the-wall bar with a lot of charm. The outside is old and plain, but the interior is bustling and bright with a certain rustic charm that feels a lot like home. Towards the back there’s pool tables and a karaoke machine that plays soft rock emanating through the entire bar.

“I’m surprised, Simon,” Jace says, holding open the door as everyone shuffles through, “your bar choice is actually quite tasteful.”

Simon gives him a look. “Unlike you, I actually get to know people outside of my job.” His statement earns a few chuckles from Izzy, Alec and Clary.

Jace frowns. “I know people outside my job!” He says as they file into one of the booths. Clary hands Jace a drink menu as he grumbles about Simon’s comment.

“It’s true though,” Izzy confirms. “The last person you met was Clary, and even now she works with you two at the firm.” She laughs brightly. “Even Alec talks to people outside his job!”

Jace slams the menu on the table. “You know what, I don’t need this!” He pouts. “I’m going to the bar to get drinks.” He rises from the table to walk towards the bar, but stops suddenly and turns back to the group. “ _AND_ I’ll even talk to the bartender! See? Talking to people!” He shouts as he walks over to the bar, defeated.

Everyone laughs at his outburst before Clary speaks up. “You guys love messing with him don’t you?”

Izzy shrugs. “He makes it too easy.” She glances at Alec, “I remember Jace used to really pick on Alec when we were growing up, but after Jace got in trouble with our parents, the role shifted to Jace.” Izzy and Alec both share a laugh at the memory.

Clary looks to Jace, who is talking at the bar with a young woman with almond skin and large, thick curls of black hair. “Honestly, he’s a great person,” she states, a small, content smile crossing her features. “Even if he’s a prosecutor, he’s never rude to people. He’s just and fair, and that’s admirable.”

“We can see why you like him, Fray,” Simon chimes in.

Clary suddenly goes wide eyed, turning her head suddenly to the group. Her red curls bounce against her face. “I don’t—!” She bites her lip as she studies the knowing glances the rest of the group gives her. “…Is it really that obvious?” She asks, slumping her shoulders.

Izzy nods. “Trust me, I know the signs of attraction when I see it.”

Clary face turns almost as red as her hair. “You can’t tell Jace.”

“Tell me what?”

Clary jumps at Jace’s sudden appearance. He holds five glasses of beer in his hands, lightly putting them down of the others. He holds one out to Clary with a curious glance.

Clary laughs, but Alec can tell it’s forced. “We were just talking about embarrassing stories,” Clary states. She smirks, getting back a bit of her usual spunk, “I’ve heard there’s quite a few about you.”

Jace’s eyes widen as he immediately looks to Izzy and Alec. “You didn’t!”

Izzy holds her hands up in defense. “We just said you had a lot of them, we didn’t name any names. Though there is this duck story that—” Izzy is interrupted as Jace forces himself into the booth, squishing Clary and Izzy against the wall.

They all laugh at Jace’s actions as they shift the conversation to Simon’s new record deal. His album went viral online and now he’s been invited to DJ at a variety of different clubs. Alec sits in silence, sipping at his beer as they talk. Just as Simon is getting to his story about a wild rave party, Alec’s eyes catch a familiar figure.

Magnus.

Unlike the other times he’s seen Magnus, he’s in relatively plain, non-flashy clothes. He enters through the back, which is dimly lit and if Alec hadn’t have looked, he wouldn’t have noticed him. He watches carefully as Magnus walks over in haste to the bar, catching the attention of the almond-colored woman.

He gestures to the door and the woman nods, walking off with him and disappearing from the main room. Alec’s brows furrow. _Where were his cuffs, his escort? He didn’t come here without one did he?_

“Alec?” Clary asks. Alec zones back into the group to see their curious stares.

“S-Sorry,” he stutters, slipping out from the booth. “I need to go check on something, but I’ll be right back.” He smirks at Jace. “Don’t break out the shots without me.”

Izzy sends him a worried glance, but Alec just lightly shakes his head as he walks through the bar towards the back door. He glances around and sees no indication of Magnus. _Did he just imagine it?_ No, he couldn’t have. No one else has that stride, that figure. Alec pushes the door to find himself in the back alley of the bar.

“It’s bad, Magnus,” A womanly voice echoes out, “The Downworld is going all to hell, and it’s getting worse each day.”

Alec’s ears perk up at the name. _The Downworld._ It’s about the gang, and Alec’s hands shake. Magnus said he was past that life, but it seems he wasn’t completely truthful with that.

“Maia,” Magnus’ voice cuts through the gentle hums of the alley AC units, “I left the Downworld, I can’t—”

“Magnus, it’s not just my pack,” Maia interrupts. Alec steps quietly towards the sound of her voice. He strides towards the end of the alleyway and leans against the brick wall, listening to them around the corner. “The Warlocks are also starting to get antsy.”

Magnus curses under his breath. “Because of the murders?”

Alec assumes Maia nods. “They think you’ve been killing innocent mundanes, Magnus. They’ve lost a leader and now they don’t have anyone to control them.”

“Fuck, Maia, I can’t help that. They arrested me, they put me under house arrest…it’s not like I can easily escape them like this all the time.”

Alec frowns. _So he is breaking house arrest._

“Magnus,” Maia pleads. Alec happens to glance around the corner to see Maia’s hands gripping Magnus’ arms. Her look is worried. “The Vamps are talking about taking in the warlocks, Magnus. If Raph was still the leader of the Vamps, I wouldn’t be worried, but…”

Magnus’s eyes widen. “He’s not the leader anymore? Who—?”

“Camille is back.”

Alec notices Magnus tense, his eyes widen in fear. It’s the first time Alec has seen such a scared expression painted on Magnus’s face.

“Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Magnus curses, pulling away from Maia. His ringed fingers pull at the ends of his hair in desperation. “When?”

Maia shrugs. “I’m not sure.”

“You’re the Alpha, Maia!” Magnus shouts. Maia retaliates and Magnus turns away from her, continuing his muttering. “You should know when the leader changes!”

“I’m sorry Magnus,” she apologizes, “but it’s not like I’m actively into Vampire business!” She reaches out to grab Magnus’s dark coat, but he pushes away from her grasp, shaking his head.

“I…I have to go,” He says, backing away from Maia. He turns from her, walking back towards the bar.

Back towards Alec.

Alec panics, he can’t run fast enough to hide that he was listening in. He backs up, hoping to put some distance between him and their conversation.

It’s useless.

Magnus runs right into his broad chest with an ‘oof’. Magnus shakes off the sudden obstruction, only to look up and see Alec, his eyes wide with fear.

“A-Alec?” Magnus stutters. Alec wears a frown, his brows creased together.

“Are you going against your house arrest?”

Magnus’s eyes go wide with fear, which answers Alec’s question. He opens his mouth to answer, but then quickly turns on his heel, running in the other direction. Alec doesn’t miss a beat, his feet carrying after him.

“Magnus!” He shouts out, chasing him down the alley. Magnus looks back momentarily before running down another alleyway. Alec follows, but can hear a distant ring of sirens in the air. They know Magnus is out, they’re searching for him.

He watches as Magnus runs towards the fence at the end of the alley, he climbs it in haste, hoping that Alec won’t be able to climb it. He backs up a few paces, huffing.

“Alec, this is—” He’s unable to finish the sentence as the sirens grow louder. His eyes are still wide in fear, his breathing labored. There’s nowhere for him to run.

“Magnus,” Alec calls from the other side of the fence, “Magnus, please, stop running.” Alec stops at the fence, huffing. “I can take you back home, and I can make an excuse that—”

“Alec, you need to get out of here,” Magnus orders. “I don’t want to run into cops with you by my side. They’ll think you’re helping me sneak out.” He shakes his head, his fingers latching around the fence. “I got myself into this mess, and I’m not about to drag you down with me.”

“Magnus—!”

Magnus is gone before Alec can process his words. All that he’s left with is the faint smell of sandalwood and the echoes of police sirens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so....needless to say, Magnus is getting into a bit more trouble (like he needs any more after being accused of murdering 17 people right)
> 
> More plot related stuff in the chapters ahead  
> and next chapter we get a lot of Magnus and Alec interaction as well as a new face! (ooooo)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's three days before Alec hears from Magnus again.
> 
> And it's not good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So since I'm already so ahead in writing this fic, a lot of chapters are going to be posted today!
> 
> It's Thanksgiving over here, so for those who celebrate it, go eat all the food u can. For those who dont, TREAT YOURSELF to some good food anyway!
> 
> -Ev

Alec returned to the bar a bit sweaty. But what really weighed him down were the words that Magnus had said to him. His mind was still racing thinking about Magnus. _He’s out on his own, evading the police. What if he gets caught? What if he doesn’t get home? What if? What if? What if?_

Unable to escape his thoughts, he apologizes to his friends and thanks them for the company, making some halfhearted lie in an effort to get home. Izzy follows him outside.

“Alec…”

“I’m fine, Iz,” Alec states, walking out onto the sidewalk. He turns to her. “I just really need to get back home.” He meets her worried gaze. “I promise you, I’m okay.”

She doesn’t look convinced. “Is this about the Bane case?” He steps away from her, not wanting to talk about it, but she stills him. “Alec, I won’t press it, okay?” She frowns. “Though I’m upset you won’t talk to me, I won’t push you. But when you are ready to talk, I will be here, okay?” She offers a sad smile to him.

He smiles back softly. “Thank you,” he says, enveloping her in a hug. She releases a muffled laugh into his jacket.

“You stink.”

“Shut up.”

 

~~~~

 

It’s three days before Alec hears of Magnus again.

And it’s not good.

Alec walks over the threshold and the medicated air fills his lungs. He tugs at his jacket sleeves as his brown leather shoes patter against the cold tile floor. “Who is it this time?”

Izzy offers a slight smile to Alec. She’s wearing her black turtleneck dress today with a silver pendant. Though her lab coat covers most of the outfit, he knows she’s well coordinated with her outfit today. She wears her hair up in a bun and her mask falls in her face. “Good afternoon to you too, big brother.”

He stops at the examination table, looking over the young man who lay on the table. He was _gorgeous_ , with dark brown skin amongst slightly rumpled hair. “Are you sure you laid out the right victim?”

Izzy lets out a laugh. “Yes, I’m sure,” she says, turning to grab the clipboard, handing it to Alec. “And I guess you don’t have to explain why you ran out on us at the bar a few days ago.”

Alec frowns.

“Alec, you should have told someone. We could’ve stopped this.”

“Look,” Alec says with aggravation dusting his face, “I only saw him briefly, and by the time I was able to find him, he ran from me. He’s quick.”

Izzy frowns at him. “You act like you aren’t. I saw you in action on the force, and—”

“So the victim turned up dead three days ago?”

Izzy sighs, turning back to the cadaver. “He was killed three days ago. Officers found his body in his apartment yesterday. MO matches all the other victims, as we’ve seen with Magnus’ other kills.” She nods to his clipboard. “I placed time of death somewhere between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m., though it was probably closer to 10 because Magnus was caught after midnight.”

“Was he a Downworlder?”

Izzy shakes her head, turning to some of her files. “No, it says that he was a musician looking to make it big. He knew Magnus very well too. We have witnesses and close friends that said they were lovers.”

Alec swallows thickly. _Lovers._ “Why target someone so close?”

Izzy turns back to him, handing him a few files in vanilla envelopes. “I’m afraid you’re asking the wrong person.” Her troubled look crosses her face. “If you really want to know, I’d suggest talking to Magnus about it.”

Alec nods. “Thanks Iz.”

 

~~~~

 

Alec calls the number on Magnus’ file. To his surprise, it isn’t Magnus who picks up.

“You’ve reached the Brooklyn police station, my name is Raj. How can I help you?”

“Raj,” Alec starts, his brows furrowing. “Is Magnus there? I have case details I need to discuss with him.”

He hears Raj chuckle a bit. “No, he’s not here. Ever since his escapade, he’s been on total lockdown at his house. We’ve got out special squad unit watching him 24/7 until his impending trial.”

“Trial?”

“Yeah,” Raj states, “There will be a trial to determine whether he should stay in house arrest or be sentenced to a county prison until his official murder trial. And from the looks of things, Lightwood, Bane will have to thrive in orange for a few months.”

Alec frowns. “Do you have his address? I need to talk to him as soon as possible.”

“Sure, let me get it,” he states. Alec can hear mild scuffling on the other line. “And Lightwood?”

“Hm?”

“Good luck trying to defend this guy.”

“Thanks,” Alec replies grimly. “At this point, I’ll need all the luck I can get.”

 

~~~~

 

It’s a 10 minute drive to Magnus’ place. He still lives in the city, but Alec is surprised to find that he lives in a more quaint, cul-de-sac-like area. The houses are somewhat similar, but different enough to make them individual. Alec turns the corner onto the next street, continuing until he reaches the house on the end. Sure enough, there are 3 cop cars there. A couple officers sit in the car while two more stand on the front porch. Alec swallows as he takes in the atmosphere Magnus’ house gives.

Needless to say, despite the intimidating police presence, Magnus’ house was beautiful. As small as it was, the yard was quite green and well kept. The house was painted a quaint gray with dark red shutters and a black front door. There were a few hanging plants off the front porch and in the flower beds, but nothing excessive.

Alec turned off his car and approached the house, nodding to the officers. He stepped up onto the front porch, taking notice of the swing that was suspended from the ceiling. It was round, with a padded bottom, and there were pillows and blankets covering it. It seemed comfy.

Alec turned back to the front door, ringing the bell to his left.

“Who goes there?!” A voice yelled out from the intercom.

“Um…it’s Alec, your defense attorney?”

“Oh!” Magnus exclaimed. From behind the door, he could hear the patter of footsteps. The turn of a lock sounded as the door pulled away to reveal Magnus. He wore a blue silk shirt, but failed to button any of the buttons, showing off his muscles and _good Lord those abs—_

Alec tore his gaze away and forces himself to meet Magnus’s eyes. He wore the usual dark liner around his eyes, but it seemed less heavy, he noticed.

“Alexander,” Magnus greeted, stepping to the side to let him in. “You’re early.”

Alec stepped into his home, taking in the rather relaxed, but still overly modern atmosphere. Immediately after crossing the threshold, there’s the smell of sandalwood and pine. It’s quite earthy, but still very…Magnus.

“Is Raj here?” Alec asks, noticing no prominent officer presence.

Magnus closes the door and locks it back. “No,” he replies, “Garroway let him take a day off.”

“Then—”

“I’m not here alone, Alexander,” he interrupts. Magnus nods to what Alec assumes is the kitchen, walking past him to the next room. Alec follows suit until they both find themselves in the kitchen. The kitchen itself is decorated with lavish accessories that remind Alec of India, though there are some homages to other cultures as well. Though the coloring is rather plain, the décor makes up for it.

Alec turns his attention to the guest in Magnus’ home. He’s an older gentleman sitting at the kitchen bar with a drink in hand. His skin is a warm chocolate brown and he’s dressed in all black.

“Alexander, this is Detective Luke Garroway. Lucien,” he calls, turning to the other man, “this is Alexander Lightwood, my defense attorney.”

Detective Garroway rises from his chair, abandoning the drink he had been having. He’s a bit taller than Alec, but not tall enough to where he towers over him.

“Nice to finally meet the face behind the name,” Luke says, shaking Alec’s hand firmly. He smiles brightly at him, “I’ve heard a great deal about some of your cases, and I’m impressed with the success you’ve had at such a young age.”

Alec smiles back. “Thank you sir,” he replies, shaking Luke’s hand with the same firmness as he did. “I’ve seen your handiwork on the news, and it never fails to amaze me.”

Luke chuckles. “Feel free to call me Luke. None of this ‘sir’ business.”

“Lucien was the one who vouched for me to be put on house arrest,” Magnus interjects. “I’m lucky to have known you before I found out you were a detective,” he laughs.

Alec looks to Magnus. “You met him before?”

Luke turns back to take a sip of his drink, coffee, Alec notices. “I was undercover when we met, so technically I was doing my job when we met.”

Magnus nods, turning to the black cupboards to get a coffee mug. He pours the dark liquid from the coffee pot and into the mug before sliding it to Alec. “And as usual, he was doing a great job of it.” Magnus chuckles, running his long, tan fingers against the gray granite countertop, “The Wolves didn’t even take notice. Hell, they wanted to make you pack leader. Now _that_ is a miracle.”

Alec focuses in on the name. “Wolves?” He looks to Detective Garroway. “You were a Downworlder?”

“Undercover, Mr. Lightwood,” Luke retorts. “I joined them as a part of the investigation.”

“He was investigating Wolf activity and assessing them from the inside,” Magnus states, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. “But it’s obvious that the Wolves only care about loyalty to their ‘Alpha’” Magnus quotes.

“How do you know so much about his investigation?” Alec questions.

Magnus smirks, circling the counter to stand close to Alec. Sandalwood floods his nostrils and Alec tries not to breathe in too deeply. Magnus’s hands find Alec’s tie, straightening it. “My dear Alexander, have you forgotten?” His gentle fingers extend out, resting against the broad expanse of Alec’s chest.

 _Yes, I’ve forgotten,_ Alec thinks as his train of thought swerves to Magnus’s fingers against his chest, Magnus’s eyes looking up at him through dark lashes, _Magnus, Magnus, Magnus._

He isn’t sure if Magnus picks up on his desperation or not, but the widening smirk and playfulness in his eyes suggest that he’s not going to stop. “I was a Downworlder once, darling.”

Alec doesn’t trust himself to open his mouth, because he’d probably end up saying something completely stupid. So instead, he just nods, rather excessively if he might add.

Luke clears his throat, which in turn cues Magnus to lift his hands from Alec’s chest and step back so that they aren’t as close anymore. Alec almost lets out an unsatisfied growl. Almost.

“Right,” Alec says, stepping away from Magnus. He feels the thick tension in the air between them, and clears his throat in hopes to ease it away. “I’m sure Raj informed you of my call, but I would like to talk to Magnus about the case, if that’s fine.”

Luke’s expression fades to a more somber one. He nods. “The doors have been taken off most of the rooms due to protocol. The higher ups don’t want another escape attempt anytime soon.” Luke adds, his harsh gaze directed at Magnus. “Feel free to use any room you like.”

Alec nods before gesturing to Magnus to follow him. When Magnus doesn’t budge, Alec extends out his hands, his fingers tracing lightly against his wrist. “Magnus, come on.”

Alec’s touch seems to make Magnus immediately move. Unlike his movements prior, Magnus seems stiff and off-balance. Alec moves to a different room, noting that sure enough, the doors are gone. He clicks on the lights to see an office space, though it’s trashed and looks like it hasn’t been used in awhile. “Is this fine?”

Magnus shrugs. “It doesn’t really matter where we are, does it?”

Alec frowns, offering a chair to Magnus. He sits across from him and puts his briefcase on the desk.

“It seems you’ve been a bit busy since you broke your house arrest arrangements.” Magnus growls in frustration, crossing his arms and looking away. Alec leans forward. “Magnus, why the hell would you do that? Now you have even more evidence pinned against you.”

“You don’t think I know that, Alec?” He asks, his troubled expression prominent. He sighs as his tongue darts out to wet his lips. Alec eyes follow the motion momentarily before he gazes back at Magnus. “I didn’t want to, but it was urgent and I had to go.”

“You just had to go and kill again, you mean?”

Magnus stills. “They…they found another body?” Alec nods. “Whose?”

Alec reaches into his briefcase and opens the file. “Imasu Morales.”

A choked sob echoes out almost immediately after Alec says the name. He looks up to see Magnus’ expression filled with dread. His breath shudders, like someone just took the breath out of him, and his eyes are glossy with tears. He brings a ringed hand to his lips.

“Not him too…” He mutters out, his voice shaky.

Alec waits a moment before speaking again. “I trust you knew him well, since he was your lover and all.” He winces at the statement, as the end of his words sound sharp and antagonizing. He watches as Magnus just nods.

“He was an old ex, I didn’t…” Magnus lets out another breathy exhale, “I haven’t talked with him in years.”

Alec’s shoulders slump. “Did you hate him for ending the relationship?”

“No…no, I—” Magnus brings his hands away from his eyes to reveal the tears trailing down his cheeks. Despite the tears, his eyeliner stays relatively in place. “He was so sweet and kind. But I was secretive and closed off because of being in the Downworlders and because of Camille and—”

Magnus freezes as he bites his lower lip. Alec notices his body language folds in on himself, suddenly insecure. Alec abandons his chair, kneeling down next to Magnus. Even though his mind screams not to, Alec reaches for Magnus’ hands, holding them in his own. “Magnus,” he calls, applying a soft pressure to his hands, “If you aren’t comfortable talking about it, we don’t have to discuss it.”

Magnus stares at their hands, as he tries to steady his breathing. There’s panic, and Alec is trying desperately to relieve it. Magnus emits another deep sigh.

“I don’t want to discuss Camille,” he breathes out. “Not yet.”

Alec nods, his hands unmoving. He gives a comforting squeeze. “How about we talk about something else?” Alec watches Magnus nod. “What was Imasu like when you met him?”

A small, yet sad, smile pulls at the corners of Magnus’ lips. “Imasu was a musician when I knew him,” he starts. “I met him in a coffee shop on the Upper East Side while he was playing for the customers.” He chuckles a bit. “He tried to teach me to play, but I never could get the hang of it.”

“What instrument did he play?”

“Guitar,” Magnus replies. His smile extends to light laughter. “I remember trying to wrap my hand around the neck of the guitar to play the chords. I never understood how he could do it.” He meets Alec’s hazel eyes. “You should have heard me play, Alexander, it was _awful._ ”

Alec chuckles at his commentary. “I wasn’t any good at playing music either,” he adds.

Magnus looks at him with an expression Alec can’t exactly pinpoint. It’s almost like…endearment. Magnus brushes his thumb against Alec’s hand as they sit in a comfortable silence. He speaks up after awhile. “What about you?”

“Hm?”

“What were you like before…” he takes one hand out of Alec’s to gesture to him, “this?”

Alec’s face falls a little bit, not expecting the question. “Oh, um…” He looks to his leather shoes as he thinks of his life before being a lawyer. His brows furrow, a sudden pained expression crossing his features. “It wasn’t anything too exciting.”

Magnus catches the change of his expression, desperate to change the subject and drift back into the happy atmosphere they were both content in. “Did you have any hobbies?”

Alec meets Magnus’s gaze, and picks up on his efforts to keep the conversation light. “I liked archery.”

“Archery?”

He nods. “Yeah, it was something I was introduced to at a young age.” He smiles brightly at the memory. “I remember walking into a store and they had this _gorgeous_ bow in a display case. It was handcrafted and wooden, but you could just see the effort they put into every detail.” Magnus watches as Alec brightens back up as he continues to talk about archery. He notices the way the hazel in Alec’s eyes shift as he speaks, how he bites his lip in attempt to still laughter, how his fingers are still intertwined with Magnus’ and—

“…poor Jace though,” Alec laughs, breaking Magnus out of his thoughts. “The look on his face when I finally won against him,” Alec smiles widely at the memory and Magnus’ heart flutters a bit. “Oh,” Alec says suddenly, slumping his shoulders, “You probably have no idea who any of those people are huh? Oops.”

 _No, because I was distracted by your shining personality_ , Magnus thinks. He almost says it out loud, but bites the words back. “I’m guessing Jace is a friend of yours?”

“My brother. He’s a bit of an ass at times, but he’s supportive and does whatever he can to help people.”

“Sounds like someone I know,” Magnus retorts, smiling as Alec’s cheeks turn a little darker. “You’re cute when you blush, Alexander,” his thoughts audibly slipping out.

Alec chuckles a bit despite the blush. He rises from where he had been sitting close to Magnus. His hands slip away from Magnus’, and Magnus wouldn’t lie about the feeling of disappointment that washes over him when Alec steps away.

 “You like to flirt, don’t you?” He asks.

Magnus shrugs. “It’s a fun pastime, perhaps like your archery,” he jokes. Alec laughs again and Magnus beams inwardly with pride. His laughter fades as he looks back to the file with a solemn expression.

“I hate to break the mood, but there is more I wanted to discuss.”

Magnus swallows.

“I wanted to ask you where you went after you scaled the fence three days ago,” Alec states. “If I get a solid alibi from you, where people can identify you from anytime between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. then we can take a great stride against the prosecutors and show that you didn’t kill Imasu.”

Magnus studies his lap. “Sounds reasonable.”

Alec sighs, taking a seat back in the chair across from Magnus. Unlike before, the buzzing in the air has vanished. There’s cold silence.

“Well?”

Magnus closes his eyes, thinking back to that night.

 

_“I got myself into this mess, and I’m not about to drag you down with me,” Magnus says, backing away from Alec. Alec was willing to cover for him in a heartbeat, but Magnus couldn’t let him do that. If that happened, surely there would be people who would loop Alec into working with Magnus. He had already been royally screwed when taking the case, and Magnus didn’t want to jeopardize him even more._

_So he turned and ran away, away from Alec’s pleas for him to stay and away from a chance at letting this blow over. Where could he go that was safe?_

_Darting down the alleys, he could hear the presence of the sirens in his ears. There were blue and red lights bouncing off some of the walls of the buildings, shouts emanating from every direction._

_Where could he go?_

_The familiar pound in his chest gave him an idea. He was on the right side of town, and there were enough bodies to where he could easily slip away. He continued down the alleyways until he ducked back behind one of the buildings, where the pulsing of his heart spread to his head, his fingers, his toes. He knocked on the door promptly, however no reply came._

_He tried again. “Damn it, Raph, open the damn door!” He silently cursed._

_Not a minute after did the door open, the bass of the music spilling out into the quiet alleyway. In the doorway was a large man with cream skin and a shaved head. He wore all black._

_“Russell, thank god!” Magnus cried, “I need to see Raphael.”_

_Russell’s eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Magnus? How did you—?”_

_“There’s no time!” Magnus interrupts. “I have cops on my ass and I need to slip away and there’s nowhere else I know to go. So please,” he pleads, “let me in.”_

_Russell steps away from the door, nodding for him to enter. He rushes in haste as he steps into the club. The vibrant lights dance across his skin as the bass beats loudly in his head. There are plenty of people in the club, dancing so carefree and blissfully._

_He only realizes then how much he missed this place._

_“Magnus, Raphael is up in the rooms upstairs. Said he had company.”_

_Magnus nods to Russell as he ascends the spiral staircase near the right wall of the club. The upstairs portion of the club is less hectic than the dance floor, and Magnus walks through the crowd until he spills into one of the private rooms intended to be office space. His brows furrow._

_“Raphael,” Magnus calls. Across the room, Raphael sits in a chair wrapped up in the company of some random girl. She presses against him, her head thrown back as his lips wrap around her wrist. Magnus’s brows furrow as he steps closer._

_“Raphael!”_

_The girl jolts in surprise, taking back her now bloody wrist. She slides away from Raphael at Magnus’ appearance and makes her exit quietly. Magnus’ gaze follows her until she leaves before darting back to Raphael._

_“Blood initiations, Raphael? I thought those were a thing of the past.”_

_Raphael sneers, wiping the blood from his lips. “I’m only following orders, like I’m supposed to.”_

_“Cut the bullshit,” Magnus sneers._

_Raphael sighs and he takes a sip of his wine, presumably to wash away the taste of blood in his mouth. He takes in Magnus’ sweaty, disheveled appearance. His eyes widen. “How the hell did you get here? I thought you were on—?”_

_“House arrest? I am. But Maia called me about the state of the Downworld.” His brows furrow. “Is it true, Raphael? Did Camille really retake power?”_

_Raphael  frowns. “I wish it was a joke as much as you do. But yes, she’s back,” he says with a sigh. He buries his hands in his face. “And as a result, she’s having us turn to her ways of initiating people into the Downworld. I hate it just as much as the next Vamp, trust me.”_

_Magnus walks over to Raphael, sitting down on futon near him. “At least you still have your head to know that this is wrong.” Magnus frowns. “From what Maia said earlier, she’s also looking to overtake the warlocks.”_

_Raphael nods. “Ever since you left, she’s been aiming to take control of it,” he says leaning back in his chair. “And with your arrest with the murders, the warlocks are looking for a new leader, especially since numbers are dropping.”_

_Magnus’s eyes go wide. “What do you mean?”_

_“You didn’t hear?” Magnus shakes his head. “Warlocks are turning up dead around the city. Because you’re close with some of them, a couple have been pegged as part of your investigation. But they found dead warlocks outside of Brooklyn too, Magnus. Someone is trying to rid of your people entirely.”_

_Magnus’ brows furrow in concern. Someone aiming to rid of the warlocks? A shiver runs down Magnus’ spine. He could be next._

 

“Magnus?”

Alec’s voice rings in his ears again, snapping him away from the memory. “I…I went to see an old friend.”

Alec looks at him for more. “Does he have a name?”

Magnus looks behind his shoulder, aware that cops still reside on his property. He nods, scooting closer to Alec. He leans close to Alec, close enough to smell the faint scent of pine and mint surrounding Alec. “He’s a Downworlder,” he whispers, “and I don’t want to put a target on him.”

“Can he confirm if you were there until midnight?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know how long I was there for.” He glances at the door again before his dark eyes meet Alec’s. “He’s a Vamp, and because power has shifted, their leader is influencing them to do a lot of bad stuff.” His brows crease together. “I don’t want him to be in danger. Police are already wary of Downworlders, and I don’t want to give them any more reason to doubt us.”

Alec nods, processing the information. “I’ll go on my own,” Alec whispers, “that way you won’t have to worry about police involvement.” He notices Magnus’ uncertainty. “I won’t compromise him in my report either. I’ll exclude any Downworlder involvement.” He watches as Magnus’ expression lightens a bit. “Now…can I get a name?”

Feeling a bit daring, Magnus leans in closer, hearing Alec’s breath hitch as he presses closer into Alec’s space. His mouth rests gently against the shell of Alec’s ear, hot breaths softly grazing the skin. Alec resists the urge to shiver. Magnus smirks a bit before whispering the name.

 

“Raphael Santiago.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we have the name! We'll see more about what Raph has to say in the next chapter, as well as some fun shenanigans between the group
> 
> also, fun angst and a lets just say the fic will live up to its E rating next chapter (hueueueue)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec bumps into Raphael during a night out, and what follows doesn't exactly go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Alec has a name, it's time for him to get a bit more into the case! 
> 
> Also, a thing about the Vampire group: Magnus does note that they aren't actual vampires, but they do these "blood initiations" (hence magnus' statements abt doing "weird shit with blood"). They're basically an old initiation tactic that lets people into the vamp group that went out of commission when Raph was in power. But now that Camille's back, so are the initiation tactics.  
> (I hope that makes sense D:)
> 
> Also, this chapter is when the E rating comes into play, so mild smut ahead!

The steps of Pandemonium are covered in glitter and Alec’s nose scrunches up at the excessive amount of perfume that resonates across the entryway. The neon sign above him flashes on and off constantly as people push into the club for entryway. Alec has never been a club person, but thanks to Simon’s DJ gig here tonight, he’s getting shoved into the doorway by Clary and Izzy.

“I’m going, I’m going!” Alec says, as he’s pushed forward yet again by Izzy. He steps into the club and immediately feels the bass vibrate against his skin. The lights are bright and fluorescent and dance against the crowd on the dance floor. He turns back to see Izzy and Clary smile brightly at the scene.

He remembers how Izzy jumped at the opportunity to go to the club when Clary offered. As per usual, she dresses to the nines with her vibrant red zip-up dress and her classic five inch, black stilettos. He can tell that she helped Clary dress too, as she wears a skin tight black dress and matching heels with her hair tied up elegantly. She was absolutely eye catching, especially to Jace.

“A bit crowded isn’t it?” Alec yells over the music and Izzy just laughs.

“That’s the point Alec!” She gestures forward as they all shuffle through the people and towards the bar. Alec waves the bartender over and orders a beer.

“We’re going to go dance,” Clary says, her hand finding Jace’s. Jace tries to wear a neutral expression, but his siblings see through it instantly. “We’ll find Simon after the next song, okay?”

“He isn’t in the DJ booth now?” Alec asks. Clary shrugs.

“Maybe! We’ll find out soon!” And with that, Clary and Jace disappear into the crowd of partygoers, leaving Alec and Izzy by themselves.

“I guarantee you they’ll be dating by the end of the month,” Izzy predicts, drawing a laugh from Alec as he brings the beer bottle to his lips.

“Who knows, if she grinds hard enough against him, they won’t have to wait a month,” he jokes. “Ow!”

Izzy hits him rather hard at the comment, earning a scowl. “Be nice.”

Alec grumbles as the music continues to pound in his head. He’s always hated clubs; they’ve always been too loud for his liking. He glances around, taking the atmosphere in. It isn’t long before his eyes focus in on a man, a bit shorter than him, dressed to the nines in a dark slimming suit and dress shirt. His dark hair is slicked back, making his sharp jawline more prominent. It takes a few minutes of curious staring before Alec finally connects the dots.

Raphael Santiago.

Magnus had told him the name yesterday, so it was still fresh in his mind as he looked up files on the man. He was relatively low profile for a Downworlder, especially one who was a former leader, according to what Magnus had briefed him on.

“Alec?” Izzy asks, glancing between him and his line of sight. Alec places his beer bottle down beside her.

“Sorry, Iz. I need to go talk to someone. I promise I’ll find you after and you can drag me out there to dance, okay?”

Izzy’s uncertainty melts into a smile at his offer. “You’re going to wish you hadn’t said that, dear brother.”

Alec rolls his eyes with a smile as he turns from the bar and walks over towards Raphael, who hasn’t noticed him yet. He stops a few paces away from Raphael. As the song fades out, Alec speaks up.

“Raphael Santiago?”

“Who’s asking?” He asks, his deep voice a bit gravelly. He keeps his eyes trained on the dance floor.

“Alec Lightwood,” Alec replies, not making a move to get closer. “I’m the defense attorney for Magnus Bane.”

That statement earns a shocked glance from Raphael. He looks around before taking Alec’s arm and leading him to a darkened corner of the club. Raphael looks over his shoulder. “Look, I don’t want any trouble—”

“I’m not here to cause any,” Alec interrupts. His brows furrow. “I’m trying to clear Magnus’ name in regards to the murder of Imasu Morales.”

Raphael gives another shocked look. “He’s dead?” Alec nods as Raphael straightens his jacket, wincing lightly. “Damn…”

“Look, I want to get this over with as soon as possible, but around what time did Magnus get here? What time did he leave?”

Raphael shook his head. “He wasn’t here long. He arrived a mess around 10:30. He was out by 11:15 tops.”

 _Fuck_. This doesn’t help him at all. That still allows a 45 minute timeframe that Imasu could have been killed. “Did he say where he was going?”

Raphael shook his head. Alec let out an aggravated sigh.

“Any other questions?”

“Yeah,” Alec replies, looking around the club briefly before turning his head back to Raphael. “Could you tell me anything about who Camille is?”

Okay, so that wasn’t something he absolutely needed to know, but Alec was curious because her name kept popping up in conversations involving Magnus. Obviously there was some history there, and Magnus was not comfortable talking about it. He hoped that he could get some general information from someone else.

Raphael backs away from him, shaking his head again. “I’m sorry, but for Magnus’ sake, I can’t say anything.” Alec frowns. “If he’s not willing to talk about her yet, I won’t tell you anything about her.” He looks behind his shoulder again, as if he’s afraid someone will overhear. “What I can say, however, is after a very long absence; she’s come back and is trying to take over some of the subgroups in the Downworld.” Raphael’s dark eyes meet Alec’s briefly, and he can see the honesty glistening in his eyes. “That’s all I can give you, I’m sorry.”

Alec curses inwardly, but nevertheless thanks Raphael as he walks back over to his group of friends. Simon has now joined the group, and slings his arm around Izzy’s shoulders. As Alec approaches, he retracts his arm.

“Alec!” He smiles brightly. “Glad you could make it!”

He gives a halfhearted smile to Simon. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Clary glances at her drink, swirling it around lightly. “That’s not what you said on the way here,” she mutters, taking another sip of her drink. Alec gives her a stern look as the rest of them laugh.

“Come of Fray,” Simon calls, pushing her shoulder lightly, “You’re being too harsh on him.” He turns back to Alec. “Whether you wanted to come or not though,” he starts, patting Alec on the arm, “thank you. It does mean a lot to me.”

Alec smiles honestly at him as they order another round of drinks. About 3 more beers and a shot or two later, the song changes pace in the background to something more upbeat and tempo. Cheers echo from the dance floor, indicating the song is obviously a crowd favorite.

“That’s my cue!” Simon says, a bright smile crossing his features. He looks to Izzy. “Gotta go pump up the jam!” With a shared laugh, Simon steps forward and presses a quick kiss to Izzy’s lips before he turns and disappears into the ground. Alec’s eyes go wide before the concerned sibling look washes over his face. Izzy simply giggles at him.

“Come on Alec,” she grins at him, “He’s sweet and caring, and we’ve known him for years. So don’t pretend like he’s going to whisk me away.” She pushes his shoulder lightly. “Don’t worry, you can give him the ‘break her heart, break your face’ talk later. But for now…” She takes his hands leading him to the dance floor, “I believe you said you’d owe me a dance.”

Alec smiles, despite shaking his head. “I guess I did, didn’t I?”

Simon drops another song that starts with a somewhat slow, but base heavy beat. The male voice is captivating and Alec finds himself getting into the beat more than he’d like to admit. Izzy dances close to him, her hips swaying to the music. Alec closes his eyes as he sways his hips subtly, trying not to draw that much attention to himself.

His eyes open again as he feels a hand press against his side. He looks to see a rather attractive man dancing close to him, his sharp features and dazzling blue eyes are what Alec notices immediately.

“You come here often?” The mystery man whispers, his hands resting on Alec’s hips lightly. He’s about as tall as Alec, give or take an inch.

Alec lets out a breathy chuckle, leaning his head back. “Depends on whose asking.”

Mystery man lowers his face to brush his lips against the expanse of Alec’s exposed neck. He gasps in surprise. “Someone who sees an attractive man all by himself,” they say, their voice low and deep. Alec shivers as he trails a hand up to grasp at the strands of hair on the back of the man’s head.

“Well I’m not by myself anymore, am I?” Alec asks, a bit daring. _It must be the alcohol,_ he thinks. He’d never respond this way otherwise.

The sensual beat progresses and Alec’s lost in it. He’s lost where Izzy went, but assumes she must have found Jace and Clary and decided to dance with them. As the song plays, the man he dances with presses Alec closer, so much so that he can feel the excitement from the other man. He moans out loud, but it’s muffled against the deafening music.

“How about we get out of here?” The cool voice echoes out and Alec simply nods. The man with sharp features breaks away for a moment before latching Alec’s hand in his and leading him away from the dance floor and into the bathroom.

Alec giggles, actually _giggles_ , feeling like a teenager as he’s pushed into the bathroom. The man with sharp features suddenly crushes his body against Alec’s, pinning him against the door. He can smell the alcohol in his breath, and thinks that he probably has the same problem. He huffs a laugh. “Well?”

Mystery man takes the opportunity to crush his mouth to Alec’s as they savor the taste of tequila and beer. It’s an odd combination, but it’s even more intoxicating that before. The beat of the music outside pounds against the door, driving Alec mad as he pushes back into the kiss. It turns sloppy quickly, neither of them really in it for the meaning behind their actions. A knock at the door makes them jolt, but the mystery man takes the opportunity to whisk Alec into one of the stalls.

Alec laughs quietly as another person waltzes into the bathroom, unaware of the two in the stall. The man he’s with, however, doesn’t think of stopping his ministrations and presses forward, his hands slipping under Alec’s dress shirt—which he wore thanks to Izzy—and caresses the tender skin there.

Alec bites lip to suppress a whimper as the man jingles with his belt and the opening of his jeans. He leans forward, his hot breath dancing across his ear. “Be very quiet,” he whispers, “You wouldn’t want to get caught like this, would you?”

He feels a euphoric rush as the man falls to his knees, his face dangerously close to Alec’s crotch. Alec grips the top of the stall door as the man wraps his fingers around the waistband of his boxer-briefs, pulling them down and letting his cock spring free. Alec whimpers softly at the sensation and has to suppress a loud moan when the man takes his cock into his mouth.

In the distance, he hears the music blare loudly in the bathroom before it fades into a gentle hum again, supposedly leaving them alone in the bathroom. As the man below him gives a particularly long swallow around his cock, Alec moans out loudly.

“F-Fuck,” he calls out, his grip on the door increasing. His hips buck forward at the man’s actions, causing him to groan around his cock. It sends vibrations through Alec, intensifying his libido even more. The man’s hands are everywhere, pressing against his thighs, his balls, and his ass. Alec finds himself giving a silent plea when fingers ghost against his hole.

He winces at the sudden prodding feeling, especially going in dry as they are, but he focuses on the wet, filthy slurping sounds of the man’s mouth around his cock. He groans out again as another finger prods into him, scissoring him open.

“Haa—fuck!” Alec grunts, his head falling back against the wall of the bathroom stall. He groans at the loss of heat around his cock as the man pulls off of him. With a breathy groan, he stands back up against Alec, pressing his mouth to his ear.

“Mmm, the sounds you make,” he says darkly, crooning his fingers in Alec. His antics sends shivers up his spine, much like when Magnus whispered into his ear earlier.

Magnus. Alec’s mind immediately flocks to the day he went over to the house. How his hair looked and how his eyes looked gorgeous with the black rim of eyeliner surrounding them. How those abs were put on display for him and—

“Fuck, _Magnus_ ,” Alec groans loudly, throwing his head back in desperation.

It’s not a second after that he groans for a different reason. The fingers in him disappear, and the pressure of the man lifts from him. Delirious, he whines in frustration. “Wh-Why’d you stop?”

“Who’s Magnus?”

A cold wave of realization swoops over Alec. _FUCK._ He thought about Magnus during an escapade with someone who is definitely _not_ Magnus. Alec shakes his head. No, the real problem is that he thought about Magnus _, his CLIENT,_ while getting off.

So much for professionalism.

“Well?”

Alec swallows deeply, sobering up like he didn’t just down 3 beers and a few shots. He tucks himself back into his underwear with shaky head. “Fuck…I-I’m so sorry—” Alec rushes out, pushing open the bathroom door before he can be stopped. He falls back into the club, where the lights are once again too bright and the music pounds against his skull.

He needs to leave.

So he does just that. Without a second thought, he pushes out of the club and into the cold night air. He starts walking at a quick pace away from the club. He doesn’t know where, just anywhere away from there. Away from the problems running through his mind. He stops in the park to send an apology text to Izzy. After he sends it, however, his hand hovers over the Magnus’ contact.

He’d be given Magnus’ home phone number after his first meeting with Magnus at his house, since Magnus couldn’t leave the house anymore. Alec furrowed his brows. He wants to see Magnus.

 _He really shouldn’t_.

 

~~~~

 

There’s a sudden, vigorous knocking at Magnus’ door that causes Magnus to jolt in surprise. So much so that he spills the popcorn he had made all over himself. Frowning, he places the bowl of remaining popcorn next to him on the couch as he brushes the remaining pieces from his lap.

 _Who the hell is knocking at this hour_? He asks himself in irritation as he unlocks the door, swinging it open suddenly. “What?!” Magnus yells, but his anger dissipates when he sees who is at his door. To his surprise, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome himself stands in the doorway looking flushed and breathless. “Alec?”

Alec huffs. “H-Hey,” his voice is deeper than usual, but sounds foreign all the same. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

Magnus’ brows knit together in confusion. Nevertheless, he steps to the side to let Alec in. “Hurry up and get in,” he orders a bit more harshly than intended, “If the door is open for more than 20 seconds, the alarm will go off and I’ll have a gun to my head.”

Alec nods in understanding, pushing himself into Magnus’ place. As he passes Magnus, the scent of bad cologne and alcohol follows him. Magnus scrunches his nose as he closes the door.

“Dear God, Alexander,” he starts, looking at Alec’s debauched figure. “What the hell have you been doing?”

Alec drives a shaky hand through his messy hair. “I went to one of Simon’s gigs and got…distracted.” Alec licks his lips nervously.

“Obviously,” Magnus retorts. He notices Alec’s shirt has been rumpled and despite the button to his jeans being secured, the zipper remains open. His eyes travel upward and sure enough, several dark marks decorate Alec’s neck. Magnus frowns. “Why did you come here? I’m sorry, but I don’t want to hear about your sex crazed adventures and—”

“That’s not—!” Alec interrupts. Panic sets in his eyes and he turns away from Magnus, drawing out an aggravated groan. “That’s not it.” His fingers grasp at the sleeves of his shirt. “I didn’t have sex.”

“Well something obviously happened,” Magnus observes.

“Can we not talk about it?” Alec pleads.

Magnus frowns, frustrated. “Fine.” He settles back down on the couch, taking his popcorn bowl back into his lap. “I don’t know what you want to do, but I’m going to continue watching _Project Runway_ and stuffing my face with popcorn.”

Sure enough, Magnus presses play on the program, watching as the contestants struggle to create new, yet fashionable outfits for their models. Magnus throws in a witty comment or two about how ‘Victoria’s dress looks more like an ugly wax cake topper’ and continues to eat his popcorn; the soft crunches are the only other sound in the room.

Alec frowns.  Why did he even come here? Why bother Magnus at all? His shoulders slump as he stares at his hands in silence, contemplating whether he should bring it up or not.

“Where did you go after you visited Raphael at Pandemonium?”

Magnus pauses mid-bite of popcorn as he pauses the program. Swallowing, he blinks at Alec. “I’m sorry?”

“I met with Raphael,” Alec says, closing his eyes, trying to remember all of the details amidst his post-drunken haze. “He said you didn’t stay long. You left soon after. Where did you go?”

An indistinguishable look displays on Magnus’ face. “I was trying to get home.”

“Bullshit,” Alec calls out. “Officers caught you near the Marble Cemetery, which—last time I checked—was nowhere close to your place here.”

Magnus frowns. “Alexander, please, don’t—”

“How the hell do you expect me to come to your defense when you lie straight to my face, Magnus?” He shouts, turning to Magnus in frustration. “I’m trying to help you get out of this mess damn it, and yet you are insistent on leaving crucial information out! I can’t create a solid alibi for you if you don’t tell me things!”

Alec huffs in frustration. _This is not how he wanted the visit at Magnus’ to go._ He shouldn’t be delivering wild, drunken accusations against Magnus, but damn it he was just so fed up with the lies and the cryptic behavior the High Warlock exhibited.

Magnus remains silent for a moment before placing the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. He meets Alec gaze with a serious expression. “Fine, you want to know the truth?” Alec nods. Magnus presses his lips together. “I was looking for Camille.”

“Oh, yes, Camille,” Alec drawls, “the person you won’t talk to me about.”

Magnus rolls his eyes. “You don’t understand.”

“I can’t exactly help that, Magnus. Everyone seems to not want to talk about her. Even your…” He makes a wild gesture with his hands, “bloodsucker friend.”

That seems to strike a chord in Magnus, as he stands and takes several steps towards Alec until he’s face to face with the former Downworlder. Magnus’ breath flares through his nostrils.

“Don’t you dare call him that,” he spits out. “He’s my family, Alexander.”

“A secretive bastard and potential killer, I can see the resemblance.”

The words are the spark that lights the tension in the air. Anger washes over Magnus’ face as he pushes Alec back harshly, making him stumble at the sudden movement. “Get out.”

Magnus’ voice is harsh and cold, devoid of any endearment towards Alec. Alec frowns. “What?”

“I said get out!” He yells louder, pushing him again towards the door. “Get out or I swear to God, I’ll run out on that lawn and get shot on the spot!”

They both go wide eyed at Magnus’ threat. Magnus suddenly backs down, looking away from Alec with an angry expression. “Just…Just go.”

This time, Alec listens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...needless to say Alec fucked up a bit there at the end.  
> Will they be able to move past it?
> 
> We'll see next chapter
> 
> (Next chapter also has some mild smut in it too so prewarning there)
> 
> Come yell and cry with me over on [ tumblr!](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After last night’s drunken escapades, Alec and Magnus are forced to talk it out.  
> Meanwhile, Alec receives news about the impending trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So forewarning: a bit of smut in the beginning 
> 
> If anything sounds weird in the story, please tell me! This story is totally unbeta'd, so if there's errors or things that don't make sense, just give a comment and I'll change it! :)
> 
> -Ev

Alec wakes up with an incessant pounding in his head. The effects of his hangover run deep, and the slight burn from last night’s…escapades still remain. With a tired groan, Alec forces himself up, walking into his en suite and turning on the shower.

Alec’s brain runs a thousand miles a minute, replaying his actions at Magnus’ place last night.

 _I fucked that up so badly,_ he thinks, stepping out of his pants and underwear. He turns, stepping into the glass shower as groans as the hot droplets of water assault his skin.  He brings his head under the water, letting it soak into his hair and his bones, letting himself breathe out all of the toxins he collected from last night.

Despite how much he doesn’t want to think about it, his mind wanders back to Magnus. How was he ever going to make up with him? He said so many rude things to him, accused him of being too cryptic (though Alec really didn’t think that part was out of line), and insulted one of Magnus’ good friends. How could he ever rebuild the trust he had built between them after that?

Then, of course, there was the issue of Alec moaning out Magnus’ name during sex. Alec groaned at the memory. Why would that slip out? Why was he even thinking about Magnus during sex? He was his _client_ for fucks sake and—

And…Alec was hard again.

This is not what he needed. He needed to stop thinking about Magnus and his damn chocolate brown eyes, and the slight amount of facial hair that circled his mouth, and the way his fingers traced along Alec’s skin and…and…

_Fuck it._

_Screw the rules, screw them, screw all of this._

He slips a hand down to his shaft, releasing a shaky groan as his fingers wrap around the head. He bites his lip as he pumps his cock a few times, varying the pressure to increase the pleasure. He presses his head against the cold tiles of the shower as he strokes faster. He can just imagine those ringed fingers wrapping around his cock, and how the cool metal of the rings would contrast against the heat of his skin. He shivers at the feeling.

With a particularly rough stroke, Alec groans. He’s imagining all the things Magnus could do to him, how he could absolutely wreck him without so much as a glance. His mind wanders to the thought of how big Magnus’ cock might be, how full it could make him feel. His own twitches in interest. He groans out loudly as his hands fumble blindly for the familiar bottle of lotion in the shower.

He’d never admit the rush he feels when he slips a finger into himself. He can just hear Magnus’ husky voice whispering in his ear at how dirty he’s being. And honestly, Alec is _living_ for it. It’s not long after that he’s able to coax another finger into himself, hissing at the slight burn as he opens himself for more.

“A-Ah, Magnus!” He moans out suddenly, his fingertips barely brushing against that spot he is so desperate to hit. His dick is leaking and hard as hell as he pumps faster, his thumb teasing over the slit. “Oh, fuck, Magnus…” He calls out again, his eyes shutting as he pants in pleasure. He’s so close, he can feel it. He imagines Magnus in here with him, in the shower just watching him defile himself just for Magnus. It makes him shake in anticipation. “G-God, Magnus,” he pants out, “I wanna cum.”

His fingers manage to hit his prostate once more, and with another teasing tug to his cock, Alec gets his wish.

He just wishes the guilt that follows would disappear just as quickly.

 

~~~~

 

Alec doesn’t realize how long he was in the bathroom until he checks his phone. For a Saturday, his phone has been ringing non-stop. There are a series of worried texts from Izzy and Jace, and Alec sends them each a text saying he’s fine and they don’t have to call the nationwide search party for him. He scrolls through a couple email notifications on work before he stops on the last notification.

Magnus texted him.

_From: Magnus Bane 11:13 a.m._

_Alexander, we need to talk._

That’s it. There’s not build up, nor any explanation on what he wants to talk about. Great. Alec types a reply.

_To: Magnus Bane 12:41 p.m._

_What time should I come over?_

It’s barely been a minute before he gets a reply.

_From: Magnus Bane 12:42 p.m._

_Now?_

_To: Magnus Bane 12:43 p.m._

_I’ll be over in 10 minutes._

 

~~~~

 

Sure enough, it’s about 10 minutes later when Alec pulls up to Magnus’ house. The rain is falling outside and yet the police presence under the front porch is relentless. He steps out of his car and walks up to the door, knocking on it slightly.

“Magnus,” he calls out, not sure if Magnus will hear him or not.

It’s another few minutes before Magnus opens the door. To Alec’s surprise, he looks absolutely _shot_. His hair is an absolute mess, his makeup very minimal, and his wardrobe…well, even Magnus could pull off a t-shirt and sweats, Alec decided.

Magnus gestures for him to come in as he closes the door and locks it. Magnus presses his forehead against the door and sighs deeply.

“Bad morning?”

Magnus chuckles a bit. “When isn’t it a bad morning?” He asks, his tone of voice a bit more gravelly than usual. His smirk fades suddenly as he walks past Alec and towards the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“Yeah, sure.”

It’s eerily quiet between the both of them as Magnus prepares the coffee. Alec sits at the bar as Magnus shuffles around as he turns the coffee pot on and transfers in the appropriate amount of grounds. He goes to open up the cupboard and curses.

“What is it?” Alec asks.

“I told them not to put the coffee mugs so damn high after they use them,” Magnus states, sighing in frustration. He reaches up to grab one, his fingers just barely reaching it. Alec notices his t-shirt trail up slightly, revealing the gentle curve of his lower back.

Magnus clearing his throat gets his attention.

“If you’re done trying to figure out if I have a nice ass,” Magnus starts, “then maybe you can help me get the mugs?”

“R-Right,” Alec says, practically leaping up from the stool in order to get the mugs Magnus can’t reach. He steps closer to the cupboard, closer to Magnus, and reaches upwards to grab two mugs. “Here you go,” he says, lowering the mugs down to the counter.

It’s only then he realizes the compromising position they’re in.

Magnus is trapped between him and the counter, and Alec’s arms cage him in. They’re far enough apart so that it isn’t such an intimate moment, but Alec can’t deny that the way Magnus looks at him and bats his lashes unknowingly sends butterflies into Alec’s stomach.

_Fuck, he really needed to get over that._

Alec steps back from Magnus. “Sorry,” he apologizes as the quiet washes over both of them again. The tense air has returned at Alec does not enjoy it one bit.

Magnus pour the freshly brewed coffee into the mugs. “Cream or sugar?”

“Black is fine.”

Magnus hums, handing him his coffee. He turns to the fridge and takes out the cream and then some sugar from the cupboard, putting an unhealthy amount of each into his coffee. He takes a sip of his sugary concoction with a smile.

“So…” Alec starts, “What did you want to talk about?”

“I wanted to talk about the case,” Magnus says, walking into the living room. He sits down on the dark blue sofa and sighs. “I wanted to talk to you about it when you were more…levelheaded.”

Alec follows him into the living room, leaning against the wall gently.

Magnus sighs heavily. “As you know, I was part of the Downworld. I was pretty highly ranked in my subgroup; so of course, I knew quite a lot of people both inside and outside of the Downworld.” He swallows, “And now many of those people I knew and had grown close to are being murdered. If I seem hesitant to talk about it, I’m not trying to hide anything it’s just…hard to come to terms that people you love are slipping away from you.”

He notices Magnus’ melancholy look and nods. “Losing someone so close…I know how that feels.”

Another thick silence passes.

“Why did you take this case?”

Alec blinks at Magnus’ question. “I’m sorry?”

“Why’d you take the case?” He repeats. “Any other sane human being would understand that the chances of getting me out of this are slim-to-none, especially after the attempt to escape house arrest.” Magnus gazes up from his coffee at Alec. “Why did you agree to meet me today when I’ve proven I can’t be trustworthy?”

Alec looks down to his coffee, taking a gentle sip of the mug’s contents. “It’s not like you’re untrustworthy,” he states, “you’re hesitant and I can see that. Granted, it gets really fucking annoying at times, but only because trying to form a solid alibi on such little information is difficult.”

“Don’t the files say plenty about me?”

 Alec shrugs. “The files are just words on paper. They talk about things you’re accused of, not of who you are.” He takes a deep breath, trying to sort out his thoughts clearly. “You care very deeply about people despite the front you put up against the officers. You mourn over the loss of people you’ve loved and cared for, and despite being under total lockdown, you still find ways to touch the people around you.”

Magnus bites his lower lip gently at Alec’s words. “You make it sound like I’m not a killer.”

“You’re not. None of those bodies in the morgue of are your doing.”

Magnus’ eyes widen as he meets Alec’s gaze once more. “How’d you figure that out from the files?”

Alec shrugs. “I didn’t. I went to the Brooklyn precinct and spoke with my sister, the forensic analyst there about who they were and how they were killed.”

Magnus opens his mouth to retort, but closes it. After a minute, he finally forms the words. “Forgive me, but I don’t know any lawyers who go to the morgue or actively seek out information as you do, Alexander,” Magnus notes with a furrowed brow. “That’s more of an investigator’s job, isn’t it?”

Alec lets out a breathy laugh to hide his nervousness. He looks away, scratching the back of his neck. “Yeah…” He trails, “I guess old habits die hard.”

Magnus wears a confused look. “You were an investigator?”

“I was an officer,” Alec sighs, sitting next to Magnus on his couch. “My parents…they’re a part of the Manhattan precinct.” Alec looks to his hands. “Being the first born, I was inclined to join the force, so I trained and studied law and I was part of the team for a while. Then…” Alec frowns, shaking his head. _I don’t want to bring this up now,_ he thinks. “I just…I wasn’t happy, so I took my knowledge of law and took the bar and now here I am.” He gestures to himself.

Magnus’s eyes study Alec as he talks, processing the information. It makes sense now, Magnus thinks, that Alec is so involved in the case. Despite being a lawyer, Magnus noticed the gleam in his eyes whenever Alec talked about finding specific evidence, or when he talked with Izzy at the morgue. There was something hidden beneath, he knows, but he doesn’t want to push Alec beyond his limits.

Magnus smiles at him, his fingers brushing along Alec’s shoulder blades. “Indeed you are, Alexander.” His hand trails down to Alec’s bicep, where he can feel the muscle underneath the fitted shirt. “And I’m glad you’re here.”

“You didn’t seem to think that a few days ago,” Alec notes.

Magnus wears a saddened look, laced delicately with traces of regret. “You were drunk, and I was…I wasn’t thinking clearly.” He meets Alec’s hazel eyes. “Look, regardless of what happened, I want you to know that I still want you.” Magnus pauses, and Alec’s breath catches in his throat. “There are just some things that are…difficult to explain. The memories and the experiences…” He looks away. “It’s hard to open yourself up to someone you barely know.”

“Looks like we should work on that then,” Alec chuckles as a slight smile spreads against his lips. His hazel eyes meet Magnus’, and Magnus feels the sincerity of his words. “What’s your favorite story to tell?”

The way Alec tries to lighten the mood and settle the tension between them creates an odd feeling in Magnus’ chest. He’s used to people tugging him along, making him do things for their gain. For someone to care about what he wants…it’s a pleasant change.

Magnus thinks back through countless memories and bites his lip, grinning widely when he remembers it. “Okay,” he starts, shifting so that he sits towards Alec. He lets out a breathy laugh, “you’re going to laugh at me, because it’s completely embarrassing, but I can’t _not_ tell it.”

Alec’s smile grows wider at his words as he rests his head against his hand in interest. “Oh I have to hear this.”

He pauses for what Alec assumes is dramatic effect. “I may have gotten banned from ever entering Peru again.”

Alec guffaws. “Peru?” A deep chuckle rumbles up his throat and transitions to a full on laugh. “Y-You got banned from an entire country? _How?_ ”

“Okay, so I’ve been to Peru so many times I’ve lost count. Ragnor and Catarina loved going there, and I’d assist Ragnor on some of his projects, so I’d always go with him. Needless to say, he’s learned his lesson about taking me places,” he mutters, chuckling a bit. “But this one time,” he starts, closing his eyes at the memory, “I may have gotten so drunk that I stole a carpet and tried to get it to fly.”

Alec sputters. “That would’ve been a sight to see!” He laughs again.

Magnus chuckles with him. “I was told by Catarina the day after of what happened. God it was so embarrassing! The hangover,” he groans, throwing his head back, “fuck that hangover was _awful_.”

Alec takes another swig of his coffee. “So that got you kicked out of Peru?”

“Among other things,” Magnus says cryptically, taking a small sip of his drink. “The last time I was there, I met Kitty.” His smile falters a bit as Alec recognizes the name. She was the 10th victim in Magnus’ file. “After we met and fell in love, we did some…questionable things in terms of the law,” he winces. “Ragnor dragged me away from Peru, and then a few months later, I get a letter saying I’m no longer allowed there.”

Alec narrows his eyes. “You sure you’re not pulling my leg here?”

“I promise!” Magnus replies, leaning forward to place his mug on the coffee table. “In fact,” he rises from the couch and walks into a different room of the house. Alec hears his bare feet patter against the hardwood floors. There’s slight scuffling in the other room, but soon stops when Magnus reappears in the doorway, holding a picture frame in his hands.

Alec’s eyes widen in disbelief. “You had it _FRAMED_?” He places his coffee on the coffee table and buries his face in his hands, trying to contain his laughter. “Magnus, why the hell would you frame it?”

He shrugs. “I don’t know, I think getting banned from an entire country is quite the accomplishment,” Magnus states proudly, turning the frame around for Alec to see. Sure enough, a formal letter from Peru’s governmental board writes about Magnus and his escapades. At the bottom, in bold letters, it reads ‘Permissions for entry into Peru and its borders have been retracted for the individual Magnus Bane. Under no pretenses is he allowed to enter the country.’

Alec throws his head back in laughter, his cheeks hurting from smiling so much. “Oh my GOD, Magnus.”

Magnus laughs with him, placing down the frame and sitting back on the couch with Alec. “You should have seen Ragnor and Catarina’s faces when they saw it,” he chuckles at the memory. “They absolutely flipped!”

Alec tilts his head in curiosity. “You’ve talked about them once before, but I don’t think I’ve ever formally asked who they are.”

Magnus gasps, a hand pressing against his chest in fake shock. “I haven’t?” He looks up to the ceiling. “May the world smite me,” he laughs, looking back to Alec. “They’re dear friends of mine and they’ve been there for me through…well through everything.”

Alec smiles. “Sounds like they’re pretty reliable then.”

“More like a bunch of smug assholes,” he chuckles, picking his mug back up. “I’ve known Ragnor before I ever became a part of the Downworld. He’s prude and uptight, and awfully boring since he just talks about his historical novels all the time.” Alec gives a quizzical look. “Then there’s Catarina,” he sighs, the tension in his shoulders dissipating. “Oh Cat, what a hell of a woman.”

“What does she do?”

“She’s like you,” Magnus turns to Alec, smiling with an endearing look. “She helps people every day, and saves lives. She doesn’t fire the gun though,” he muses, “she only extracts the bullet from the wound.”

“A nurse then?” Magnus nods. “They sound like wonderful people, Magnus,” he says endearingly. He rests his arm against the back of the sofa just so that his fingertips brush the top of Magnus’s back. Daring, he presses lightly against the skin, subtle enough not to be noticed.

Magnus hums quietly as Alec meets resistance against his fingers. _Magnus is responding to his touch_. Amongst the silence, Magnus croons his neck in a way to expose more of the skin there, and Alec’s curious fingers itch to touch it. His heart beating fast in his chest, his fingers wander past the collar of Magnus’ shirt, where he feels the coarseness of the shaved hairs against the smooth, caramel skin prodding his fingers.

His eyes flutter shut, Alec notices, as he continues his feather-light touches back down his neck and across his shoulders. He can hear Magnus sigh—perhaps in contentment—as he moves a bit closer. Sandalwood invades his lungs, his thoughts, until Magnus has taken over his mind once again.

It’s his breath that Magnus feels against his skin first. He bites his lip, trying to resist gasping out at Alec’s subtle actions. There’s a reigning tension between them, he’s felt it but never pushed himself farther than subtle touches and innocent words. But even then, Magnus can’t resist him.

“Alec—” Magnus gasps as his fingers press into his lower back and his nose brushes the back of his neck. His skin catches fire as Alec moves subtly, and he’s trying to resist the urge to turn around and ruin whatever professionalism he’s built with his lawyer at this point.

A loud ringtone jolts the both of them out of their somewhat intimate moment. Alec pulls away suddenly, as if burned. _What the hell was he doing?_ He blinks, avoiding Magnus’ gaze as he turns towards his phone.

“Fuck,” he mutters, “It’s my work ringtone.” He accepts the call pressing the phone up to his ear. “Lightwood speaking.”

“Alec,” Lydia addresses, “Sorry to interrupt you on your day off, but I just got a call from the court office.” Alec stomach drops. _That’s never a good sign._ “The court has arranged a hearing for Mr. Bane in regards to his violation of his house arrest.” Her tone is grim. “If the evidence is not in his favor, he will most likely be transferred to a holding block in one of the nearby prisons,” she states. After a moment, she asks “You understand that, right?”

Alec’s eyes widen. “Y-Yes, I understand,” he acknowledges, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. “When is the court date?”

Alec can feel Magnus shift towards him suddenly, but his movements go stiff the minute Alec mentions court.

“Three days from now. Wednesday at 2:30,” Lydia recites. “Do whatever you can for your client, Alec. If you do that much, I’m sure it will be enough.”

“Thanks, Lydia.”

“No problem. Take care.”

The call ends as Alec tosses the phone onto the coffee table, releasing an aggravated sigh as he runs his hands against his face.

“Alec,” Magnus calls, a gentle hand resting on his shoulder, “what is it?”

He turns to see the concern on Magnus’ face and frowns. “They’ve arranged a court date, Magnus.” He watches as Magnus’ eyes widen and the grip against his shoulder increases slightly. “They’ll have a hearing in regards to your violation of house arrest…and most likely if you killed Imasu too.”

“When is the trial?” Magnus asks, his voice sounding small.

“Wednesday at 2:30, three days from now.”

Magnus’ hand retracts from Alec’s shoulder as he stands, turning away from the lawyer and pacing back and forth, muttering curses and doubts under his breath.

“Magnus,” Alec calls. When he doesn’t respond, Alec stands, stopping Magnus in his tracks. He grips his shoulders, keeping Magnus in place. “Magnus! We’ll get through this,” Alec softens. “I will do everything I can to get you through this trial.”

His brown eyes study Alec, looking for a sign of doubt, but sees none. He nods hesitantly. “Okay.”

Alec offers a kind smile. “I’ll have to form an alibi for you, so we’ll need to assess everything you did that day.” He frowns a bit. “I know you are hesitant to talk about it, so I won’t press about Camille. Let’s do what we can to show you didn’t kill Imasu, okay?”

Magnus’ expression softens, a small yet sad smile crossing his features. “Okay,” he states, taking in a deep breath. “Let’s get started.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter focuses on the trial involving Magnus' house arrest and the fate of Imasu!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's court day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, kiddos, buckle up cause it's the first trial we've all been anticipating
> 
> i have no real concept about how real court works, but lets face it: this fic isn't going to be 100% true to law whoops  
> nevertheless, I tried to keep it as true as I could, and a lot of details of the case will come out
> 
> side note: this case only focuses on Magnus' violation of house arrest and the murder of Imasu, the official trial for the 17 other victims will be later in the story!
> 
> (edit: this chapter will probably undergo revision in due time, cause I know its rly rough)
> 
> -Ev

Three days passes far too quickly for Alec’s liking. He’s spent countless hours between the Brooklyn precinct, the firm, and Magnus’ place to try and form a solid alibi for Magnus, and it’s left him completely exhausted and drained.

But it’s court day. He has to be at his best.

“You nervous?” Jace asks as they wait outside the courtroom doors.

Alec adjusts his pale, slightly pink colored tie, suddenly finding it to be tight. “I’m always nervous before a case, you know that.”

Jace nods. Unlike Alec, who’s in a full suit, Jace is just in a dress shirt and slacks. Jace, Clary, and Lydia decided to sit in on the trial. “I know it always feels better to say it out loud, too.”

Alec smiles a bit at his brother’s efforts to calm him down. He looks to his wristwatch. It’s 2:10, minutes before the trial begins and he still hasn’t seen Magnus yet. Alec lets out a large, nervous breath.

“I’d say you’re more nervous than I am,” Alec turns around as Magnus walks into the hall, followed by two officers and Detective Garroway. He wears a black pinstripe suit with a white dress shirt underneath. In traditional Magnus fashion, he adds a flair of color with a bold purple tie. Unlike days before, his eyes are rimmed with that familiar black liner and his hair has been styled to give him a rather refined look.

Alec dares to say he’s at a loss for words.

Magnus steps closer to Alec with a curious glance. He reaches out one of his ringed hands and traces Alec’s jawline with his fingertips. “You shaved,” he notes, taking away his hand before anyone draws too much attention to the action.

Alec nods. “Yeah,” he eases up a bit before continuing, “Have to look professional and all that.”

He doesn’t miss the way Magnus’s dark rimmed eyes trail down his figure, admiring the grey suit he wears. A smirk appears on his face, “I’d say you nailed the part,” he pauses, “among other things.”

Jace chuckles next to him, but Alec doesn’t join in. He’s picked up on the fact that Magnus makes witty comments when he’s nervous. The fake confidence, he’s said, has gotten him through a lot of awkward situations.

The doors open behind Alec before he can say another word to Magnus. He draws in a deep breath as he steps forward, past the threshold and into the courtroom.

The courtroom is standard as every other court is. Mahogany dominates the room, it’s dark gleam contrasting greatly to the bright daylight sun that filters through the large paned windows. He strides forward, past the spectator area and into the litigation area. He opens the gate for Magnus to walk through before directing him to the rightmost table.

Behind him, Prosecutor Malachi Dieudonné strides in. He exudes a overbearing confidence as he sends a knowing smirk to Magnus before turning to the other table across the floor.

Alec looks back to Magnus. “Hey,” he says softly as he steps closer to Magnus, entering his line of sight. “Remember what I said a few days ago?” Magnus nods. “Believe in me. We’ll get this settled.”

Magnus breathes in before nodding to him. With a shaky breath, Magnus sits as more people file in. Some of them Alec recognizes, like Jace and Clary, and even Simon. Izzy and Luke sit closer to the front, and Alec thinks they’ll be called on some time during the trial. He’s hoping that all the scrambling he did to piece together Magnus’ alibi will come together.

  “All rise for Judge Herondale!” The bailiff announces, and the entire courtroom stands as the judge enters the room. Alec takes in a large breath.

Judge Imogen Herondale, one of the stiffest judges he’s ever met. She stands for justice above all, so much so that it blinds her to seeing what is really there, Alec thinks.

“You may be seated,” she states coldly. The courtroom takes their seats. “The court is now in session. She opens a file on her desk, slipping on her reading glasses to look at the details. “Today’s case shall be reviewing case number 58374, the case of Magnus Bane against Imasu Morales. This hearing will only deal with the events of October 7th, including the violation of house arrest and the death of Mr. Morales. All other information regarding possible victims will wait until the formal murder trial.” She looks up from her papers. “Are there any questions before we begin?”

Alec and Malachi rise. “No your honor,” they reply before sitting back down.

“Very well, you may begin.” She nods to Malachi. “Mr. Dieudonné, please proceed.”

Malachi rises from his table. “I call upon Ms. Virginia Welsh as my first witness.”

In the spectator area, a young woman with long blonde hair stands. She wears a long sleeved black dress that extends to her knees. Even though she walks with confidence, Alec can see the storm brewing in her eyes. She walks up to the stand, sitting before the court.

“Ms. Welsh,” Malachi begins, looking up from his file. “What was your relationship towards the victim?”

She takes a breath. “Imasu was the love of my life. We met in Peru five years ago, and he’s been with me ever since.”

“Good for her,” Alec hears Magnus mumble.

“Did you ever meet Mr. Bane, Ms. Welsh?”

“No.”

“Did Mr. Morales ever speak of Mr. Bane to you?”

She nods. “Briefly. He mentioned in passing about a man he couldn’t teach to play guitar. Mr. Bane’s name did come up.”

Malachi nods, circling to the front of the table. “Did you ever hear about Mr. Bane after this conversation?” Ms. Welsh shakes her head as Malachi frowns. “In the days before Mr. Morales was killed, did he seem strange to you?”

Virginia Welsh pauses. “Y-Yes, he was acting strange, actually.” She stares down at her lap. “He had talked about how he felt like he was being watched. I thought he was joking, since he’s a performer as is ‘watched’ by thousands of people every day.” Her expression turns sad.

“Thank you, Ms. Welsh,” Malachi nods to her as she walks back to her seat. “Mr. Bane,” he calls, turning to Alec and his client. “Will you please take the stand?”

Magnus gives a wary look to Alec.

“Take the stand, Mr. Bane,” Judge Herondale barks. With his breath caught in his throat, Magnus approaches the stand, his footsteps heavy. He sits in the seat, which he thinks is rather uncomfortable. He frowns.

“Mr. Bane,” Malachi introduces after Magnus is sworn in, “it’s been brought to my attention that you used to know Mr. Morales very well.”

“Yes, I knew him quite well.”

“When did you meet him?”

“Years ago,” he takes a quick glance to Alec, “we met in Peru.”

“Peru, yes.” He turns over a sheet of paper. “And are you aware of the fact you are no longer allowed to enter Peru on any circumstances?”

“Objection!” Alec stands with furrowed brows. “The circumstances of Peru are not relevant to the case, your honor.”

Judge Herondale frowns. “Overruled.” With a deep sigh, Alec sits back down as the judge gestures for Malachi to continue. Alec shakes his leg under the desk. Peru was insignificant, as nothing besides there meeting happened there. Regardless, Imogen dismissed him like his opinion meant nothing.

This is why he hated court hearings.

“I’m aware of my shortcomings in Peru, sir,” Magnus retorts. “But they are irrelevant towards my interactions with Imasu.”

“What was your relationship to the victim while you were in Peru?”

Alec notices Magnus’s gaze shift to Ms. Welsh, he looks at her sadly. “We were lovers.” He closes his eyes as a silent sob comes from Ms. Welsh.

“Lovers? For how long?”

“Two years.”

Malachi nods. “On October 7th around 8 p.m. officers found no trace of you within your home. Were you on your way to Manhattan during this time?”

Magnus takes another deep breath, distress crossing his features. He looks to Alec, who nods subtly. _You can tell them Magnus,_ he thinks, _we can prove your innocence with the alibi._

Magnus looks back to Malachi. “Yes, I was.”

“Were you not going to visit Imasu after hearing about his recent engagement to Ms. Welsh?” He asks. Magnus’ brows knit together.

“No,” Magnus replies. “I had a friend in Manhattan who worked at a local bar.” He licks his lips in nervousness. “I went to her.”

“At what time?”

Magnus doesn’t immediately answer. “…close to 9 I believe.”

“What did you go to her for?”

“She…was concerned for the wellbeing of the Downworld.”

The entire courtroom seems to take in a breath, the air suddenly tense. Even Judge Herondale is still.

“Oh? Did you not leave the Downworld, Mr. Bane? Why would you have any inclination to get into the business of Downworlders if you were no longer a part of it?”

Magnus frowns. “I left the Downworld, yes. She was concerned because Downworlders have been turning up dead left and right,” Magnus’ voice is laced with impatience. “She didn’t give me many details before we met, so I did not know to what she was willing to discuss.”

Malachi nods. “Police reports indicate witnesses saw you at a local club not long after the events at the bar transpired.”

“Yes, I was at the club. My friend at the bar pointed me in that direction to see if I could get any information.”

“In what context?”

 _Fuck_. Alec thinks. They didn’t really have a cover tactic for Camille. She was someone who had evaded the law for this long without incident, and most likely had a world of aliases that kept her from being found.

Magnus pauses. “…Information regarding the Downworld.” Alec breathes a sigh of relief.

“I see,” Malachi states, turning from Magnus. He walks to the middle of the floor. “And is it well known that many these Downworlders you used to work with have criminal histories? Is the court aware that Mr. Bane _himself_ has criminal history?”

A gentle muttering ensues from the crowd. Alec can feel his insides turn. This is _not_ the way this was supposed to go.

Judge Herondale slams the gavel down against the wooden plate several times. “Order!” Silence passes over the court.

“That’s all the questions I have, Mr. Bane,” Malachi bows lightly to him as he walks back over to Alec’s table. He slides into the seat next to Alec.

“This is bad, Alexander,” Magnus whispers. “He’s practically got the entire court against me.”

“We’ll fix it.”

“How?”

Alec looks back to Magnus, his fingers pressing into his forearm under the table. “We still have Izzy to present the evidence, and I can call Luke who can vouch for you.” His brows furrow. “All hope isn’t lost, Magnus.”

“I sure hope so,” he mutters, sliding a bit farther down in his seat. His distressed look remains.

“I now call Ms. Isabelle Lightwood to the stand,” Malachi states. Isabelle rises from the crowd, showing off her professional, yet still very Izzy blue, knee-length dress. Her five-inch heels clack against the dark floors as she makes her way towards the stand.

“Gucci,” Magnus mumbles beside Alec, “she’s got good fashion sense.” Alec smiles a bit at the comment. _The two of them would get along well_ , he thinks.

Isabelle takes a seat as Malachi speaks up. “You are the forensic analyst at the Brooklyn precinct, correct?” She nods. “Can you tell us of your findings from the autopsy of Mr. Morales?”

Isabelle nods again before sitting up a bit straighter. “Mr. Morales sustained heavy ligature marks around the wrists, ankles, and neck,” she states whilst a projector to her right shows pictures of some of the markings on the wrists and ankles. “The victim also sustained various bruising to the ribcage, clavicle, and zygomatic bones on the skull. We also found burn marks on his skin, which can indicate possible forms of torture before death.”

Isabelle changes the slide as the photo changes to blood splatter on a wall. “Blood pathways indicate the victim was shot at point-blank range with a Beretta Model 92 as well.”

Alec’s ears perk up at that.

“A Beretta Model 92?” Malachi asks, voicing the curiosity Alec feels. “That’s the grade weapon law enforcement uses, isn’t it?”

“Indeed it is,” she states.

 _FINALLY,_ Alec thinks. This is a lead he can work with. If it’s law enforcement grade, there’s no way Magnus could have killed Imasu.

“Is it possible that the gun could have been stolen? Mr. Bane was in the presence of several officers.”

“Objection,” Alec tries again. “Speculation.”

Malachi sends him a glare as Judge Herondale frowns. “Overruled. Continue.”

The court directs their attention back to Isabelle. Malachi asks again and Isabelle gives a downcast look. "It is very much possible, sir."

Malachi nods. “Ms. Lightwood,” he starts, turning his attention back to Isabelle. “Do you believe it is possible that Mr. Morales could have been killed within the given timeframe that Mr. Bane was out?”

Isabelle glances at Alec apologetically, as if to say sorry for what she was about to say. She looks back to Malachi. “Yes.”

Alec frowns. _We have an alibi and witnesses,_ Alec thinks to himself. _This isn’t over just yet._

The court murmurs again as Malachi smirks. “Thank you, Ms. Lightwood.” She nods and stands. Malachi directs his attention to Judge Herondale. “I would like to call on my last witness, Mr. Lucien Garroway, chief of police.”

Judge Herondale nods. “Proceed.”

As Isabelle makes her way back to her seat, she mouths a silent apology to Alec, who waves her off gently. She’s doing her job, Alec understands, and it’s his job to take the information given to dissolve the possibility of Magnus committing the crime.

Luke is the last person to take a seat on the stand. He’s dressed in the full police uniform, which makes him look much different from when Alec first met him. He sits down with a heavy sigh.

“Detective Garroway, I understand you are the head of the special police force in charge of supervising Mr. Bane under house arrest,” Malachi informs. “Could you tell us more about how you kept track of Mr. Bane?”

“Right,” Luke clears his throat. “Mr. Bane was placed on strict house arrest, which restricted his movement outside his property unless accompanied by an officer of my team and cuffed.

“An alarm system was implemented so that it would sound if a door, window, or other opening passageway was open for 20 seconds or more. If the alarm were to sound, the officers on location would do a full sweep of the premises and restrain Mr. Bane once found. If he proved to be a threat to anyone, officers were allowed permission to shoot on sight.”

Alec’s eyes widen a bit as he turns to look at Magnus, who gives a half-hearted nod. Malachi hums in agreement. “And how did Mr. Bane escape custody? Did the alarms ever sound?”

“No,” Luke replies. “Mr. Bane was clever and made sure the door, or whatever passageway he escaped from, was secured before leaving.” His eyes drift over to Magnus. “Fortunately, my officers check the house every twenty to thirty minutes to ensure everything is fine. The APB was issued when my officers discovered Mr. Bane was absent.”

“Was there any indication of where he went?”

“Yes. His answering machine told us that someone from Manhattan had contacted him.”

Malachi looks to the papers on his table. “The files said you found Mr. Bane around Marble Cemetery,” he leads, “What time did you take him back into custody?”

“Midnight.”

Malachi nods. “Thank you, Detective.” He turns to Judge Herondale. “No further questions, your honor.” He gives a curt nod to Alec as he goes to sit down. Alec notices the smirk as he sits.

_Smug bastard._

“Mr. Lightwood,” Judge Herondale defers, “Please present your defense.”

Alec stands, taking a deep breath as he buttons his suit jacket. “Thank you, your honor,” he says, walking into the center of the litigation area. “Granted the past history of my client, it is understandable as to why suspicions have risen. However,” he turns towards the spectators, “Ms. Lightwood stated that Mr. Morales was bound and possibly tortured in the hours prior to his death. Such severe ligature marks would only appear after more than 2 hours in restraints, no?”

Judge Herondale looks to Isabelle, who nods. Alec continues. “Blood spatter also indicated the gun used was indeed law enforcement grade. But if my client had stolen one from an officer as you speculated, Mr. Dieudonné, wouldn’t the officer had noticed? Even if he hadn’t done so immediately, couldn’t he have figured out there were less bullets in the gun than before?”

“Objection! Speculation,” Malachi interrupts, however Judge Herondale dismisses him. _Yeah, take that you smug asshole._

“Detective Garroway,” Alec starts, turning to Luke, who still sits on the stand. “According to witness reports, my client was in the Chinatown and East Village areas from 9 o’clock to 11:15 p.m. and found at midnight at the Marble Cemetery. Is this true?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Therefore would you agree that the timeframe that my client was out and the murder of Mr. Morales do not coincide?”

Silence.

Luke presses his lips together firmly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lightwood,” Luke apologizes, “Though your timeline does sound justifiable, there is still a window of time where Mr. Bane could have killed Mr. Morales.”

“But—!”

“Mr. Lightwood,” Judge Herondale interjects, her eyes piercing. “If you do not have any witnesses or evidence to place Mr. Bane outside of the East Village for the remaining 45 minutes before he was found, I will make my decision.”

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck_ , Alec thinks. He looks back at Magnus, who wears a wide-eyed and worried look. “Your honor, my client has claimed to have travelled to the cemetery immediately after leaving the club’s premises.”

Judge Herondale frowns and looks down to her papers. “Do you have any witness statements that can place him there at that timeframe, Mr. Lightwood?”

Alec tries to form the words. “N-No, but—”

“Then the statement is irrelevant, Mr. Lightwood,” Judge Herondale says sharply. “Take a seat.”

With his head hung low, Alec ducks back into his seat. His hands shake as the room settles into a thick, tense silence.

“Magnus—”

“Don’t,” Magnus hushes. Alec squeezes his eyes shut and winces.

_It wasn’t supposed to happen this way._

“Now,” Judge Herondale announces, “this trial was to determine if Mr. Bane’s violation of house arrest correlated to the murder of Mr. Morales. Based on the evidence from both sides, I find the defendant guilty of breaking house arrest and is hereby charged with the murder of Imasu Morales. Until the formal murder trial for the other 17 victims, Mr. Bane will be sentenced to holding in the nearby penitentiary.” She slams down the gavel as the spectators’ mumbling grows louder. Alec can hear the reporters behind him clicking away at their cameras as they take pictures.

“But your honor,” Alec pleads, standing up from his seat, “Forty-five minutes is not nearly enough time for the victim to sustain such severe wounds.” Alec’s brows furrow in frustration.

Judge Herondale doesn’t acknowledge the thought. “Mr. Lightwood,” she begins, “the files indicate Mr. Bane escaped house arrest in the early evening, and even if he visited this ‘friend’ as your client claims, there is still plenty of time to have Mr. Morales bound and tied before killing him.” Alec opens his mouth to protest, but she continues. “So thus my decision stands. Until the official murder trial, Magnus Bane will be sent to the holding cells of Edom Maximum Security Penitentiary.”

She slams down the gavel as the sound echoes in Alec’s ears. The world suddenly seems so distant as Alec turns towards Magnus. If he felt awful before, it’s a hundred times worse when he sees Magnus’ expression.

Magnus slumps over, his expression filled with dread. His once bright eyes have lost their glow and remain empty and dark. He looks absolutely exhausted, like suddenly all the words directed at him have made their impact.

It’s only when the officers start to approach him that his eyes widen in fear. He rises quickly from his seat in a natural flight response, but the officers are quicker, slamming him down against the table and cuffing him. Magnus cries out in a half sob.

“Alec!” He cries out. Alec’s heart breaks as the officers lift him up, showing his now tear-stained, distraught face. The officers move to escort Magnus out of the room.

“W-Wait!” Alec protests, stopping the officers before they haul Magnus away. He steps into Magnus’ space, where that familiar sandalwood scent fills his lungs. He places his hands gently against Magnus’ shoulders, his voice lowering to a whisper. “I will get you out of this, Magnus. I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to get you out.”

Magnus’ sorrowful look relaxes slightly. His smile appears for a brief second before slipping away again. “I’ll be waiting, darling.”

And with that, the officers force Magnus away, through the back room doors and out of Alec’s sight.

 

~~~~

 

Alec’s phone has been totally silent since Magnus’ arrest. He should have expected it, since Magnus couldn’t text him during the day anymore. He frowns at the files in front of him, sighing deeply.

“Mr. Lightwood?”

Alec looks up to see Lydia in front of his desk wearing a concerned look. “Lydia, what’s up?”

“Do you have a minute?”

Alec nods, following Lydia into her office. He gets a few concerned looks from Jace and Clary, but he doesn’t acknowledge them. The two of them stride into Lydia’s office. As she maneuvers behind the desk, Alec closes the door behind him.

“What is it?” Alec asks, turning around to face Lydia, who pours two cups of coffee and places one in front of the empty chairs. She gestures for Alec to sit down. With a nod, he sits.

“I understand that what happened in court last week was troubling,” Lydia starts, “but just because Mr. Bane was temporarily sentenced does not mean the case is closed.”

“I’m aware,” Alec states grimly.

Lydia clears her throat. “Yes…well, it was brought to my attention that you’ve been visiting the Brooklyn precinct and its morgue since the case began.

 _Damn it,_ Alec thinks, wincing. He looks up to Lydia’s awaiting stare. “Yes, I’ve been going to get the information on the victims.”

Lydia quirks a brow. “Do the files no present enough evidence?”

Alec swallows thickly. “I’m sorry, Lydia, I—”

“Don’t apologize,” she interrupts, offering a kind smile. “You were an officer first, so it’s understandable why you do it. In fact,” she turns to the filing cabinet behind her and plucks out one of the many files in it, “I wanted to talk to you about that.”

Alec gives a concerned look to the file, trading it for his coffee. He opens it up, his eyes widening at its contents. “This is—”

“Your police file,” she finishes, sipping at her coffee. “I contacted your parents for the file,” she states. Alec feels his insides turn at the statement. “I told them I’d ask you first, but I thought it best that since you’re so invested in this case,” she hands Alec another piece of paper, “that we have you reinstated as an officer.”

He stares at the papers in front of him in disbelief. “They want to reinstate me?”

“Not your parents,” Lydia corrects. “Me.”

“Why?”

“Alec,” she says softly, another smile brushing against her face, “you are a phenomenal lawyer. I don’t want you to think that I’m taking you off the case, because I’m not.” Alec gives her a quizzical look. “I want you to have the ability to get into the details of the case. Magnus trusts you, Alec, and I can tell that there’s more to this story than what the files tell us.”

Alec shifts in his seat. “Wait a minute,” he stops, dropping the file back onto her desk, “this case is specifically tailored to the precinct of Brooklyn. My jurisdiction was for the precinct in Manhattan, not Brooklyn.”

Lydia smirks, _actually smirks_ as if she already knew that. “You’re lucky, Lightwood,” she jokes, “Detective Garroway is one of the top officers of the Brooklyn police force, and managed to persuade the higher ups to have you transferred to the Brooklyn precinct if you are reinstated.” She smiles at Alec endearingly. “I dare say you made quite the impression.”

Alec chuckles. “I guess so.” He takes a deep breath, looking back to the file. “What will it take to get reinstated?”

Lydia bites her lip as a troubled expression paints her facial features. “About that…” she pauses, sighing a bit. “To get reinstated, you’d have to undergo a sort of ‘mock exam’ that determines if your physical capabilities are good enough for on-field experience.” She swallows thickly. “Your parents would be mediating the physical exam with the Manhattan Police board of directors. If they approve you, they will reinstate you immediately and transfer you to the Brooklyn precinct.”

As Lydia explains the process, Alex gets lost in the fact he’d have to face his parents again. He hadn’t talked with his parents in years. Not since coming out as gay. Not since….well, not since Max.

“Lydia, you know my relationship with my parents is…complicated.”

“I’m aware,” she replies, sitting back in her chair. She takes another sip of her coffee. “But you said it to Mr. Bane didn’t you? You said you’d get him out of Edom, whatever means necessary.” She gives Alec another reassuring look. “I’ve known you long enough to know that you go through with what you say. And if getting reinstated is a step closer towards getting Magnus Bane out of Edom, the Alec I know would do it in a heartbeat.”

Alec sighs deeply in defeat, unable to retort Lydia’s statement. It’s true, he fights for people. And he sure is hell is going to fight tooth and nail for Magnus. He glances back up at Lydia.

“Well, when will I start?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> annnnnnnd, the entire court is totally blind to evidence which certaintly doesn't help the case
> 
> We'll get to see more of Alec's parents and his life before being a lawyer in the next chapter  
> also, poor Magnus! Prepare for that impending Edom angst ;A;


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the failure in court, Alec takes steps to get ahead in the case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on everyone's feedback from the last chapter, I'll be working hard to make the next trial a bit more believable.   
> For now though, we'll focus back on Alec as he deals with his failure in court...

The Institute was just as cold and suffocating as Alec remembers it to be. With the concrete walls and over-fluorescent lighting, it felt much like a prison.

 _Prison..._ Magnus was still in prison. Granted it was a holding cell, it certainly isn’t the worst it could be. Nevertheless, Magnus’ words from the first day they met keep resonating in his mind.

_I’m bisexual, which is just asking for me to get jumped._

That thought loomed over his head. If the other prisoners found out Magnus was bi, it could seriously endanger him. Alec knew, he’d seen it before.

“Alexander,” a coarse tone interrupted Alec’s thoughts. He turns as he watches his parents stride over to him, both clad in their full uniforms. _Are we sure I’m not the prisoner here?_ Alec asks himself.

“Robert,” Alec replies distantly. His hands are suddenly clammy and a cold sweat breaks out on the back of his neck. “Thank you for meeting with me today.”

“Now Alexander, that’s no way to talk to your father,” Maryse interjects. “We’re family, aren’t we?”

Alec wears a bewildered look. _Family?_ They hadn’t bothered to speak with him in _years_. Did she suddenly forget?

“I’m sorry, Mother,” he grinds out. “And I go by Alec, so if you could please call me Alec, that would be great.”

Maryse nods hesitantly. “We hear you want to be reinstated.”

“I want justice for my client,” Alec corrects. “If I need to be an officer to do that, so be it.”

Robert nods. “Very well then. Hodge,” he calls as a middle-aged man steps forward. Alec nods to him. “You’ll spar against Hodge, and we’ll be watching closely to determine whether or not you can go back into the field.”

Alec nods to Robert. “Thank you.”

Robert gives him one final glance before turning away to join the other board members. Maryse steps forward, her hands resting lightly against his forearms in an attempt at a motherly gesture. “Good luck, Alec,” she whispers before stepping back and joining the rest of the group.

Alec stares in disbelief as Maryse wander over to the group. He shakes his head. _This is a problem for another time_ , he thinks. He turns back to Hodge, who wears an amused look. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Hodge chuckles, abandoning his sweatshirt, leaving him in a dark tank-top and sweatpants. “Admittedly, it’s gotten boring without you and your chaos-inducing siblings here.”

Alec laughs at the truthfulness of his statement. “Unfortunately, they chose to spread their chaos elsewhere,” Alec admits, also ridding of his jacket. He takes a moment to wrap his hands in boxer bandages. He shakes out the stiff feeling in his bones and stretches out his arms as he turns towards Hodge, who slips on some handheld punching pads. Taking his stance, he looks back to the Board members, who sit down at the observation table quietly. He directs his attention back towards Hodge, a sense of calm washing over him.

“Begin!”

The sudden announcement sparks a familiar feeling in Alec. As Hodge holds up the punching pads, Alec breathes out the nervousness. With a familiar fire settling in his gut, he forms a fist and lets it sail into the punching pad. Hodge hold up the other quickly, and his instincts kick it, hitting it swiftly and quickly.

He notices Hodge’s stance change, anticipating his next move. He ducks, dodging the swing intended for his face. He turns around, weight bearing on one foot as he raises his leg, swinging it powerfully as it rips through the air, hitting the punching pad.

Hodge chuckles. “A little rusty there, kiddo.” He dodges another punch from Alec. “You’re too easy to read.” Hodge goes to kick him on his right side, and Alec notices before it makes impact. He catches Hodge’s leg in his arms and smirks before pulling, breaking Hodge’s balance and sending him to the floor.

 _There we go,_ Alec thinks, adrenaline pumps through his veins. Smirking, he sends a punch flying through the air, hitting Hodge’s punching pads.

He’s not fast enough. He needs to be faster.

Hodge tries to push him back, but Alec doesn’t budge. Instead, he keeps a leg restrained as he brings another fist down, and another, and another. He deals a few blows to Hodge, unable to block some of his blows.

“I don’t think so!” Hodge retorts as he bends his arm, sending his elbow into Alec’s left temple. Alec lets out a grunt as Hodge tackles him to the ground, abandoning the punching pads. He wrestles with Alec, restraining his leg in a way that has Alec gasping in a pain. “Guess being a lawyer made you too soft, Lightwood,” Hodge huffs with a smirk.

Alec huffs out a laugh before he knees Hodge in the stomach, releasing his other leg. He uses the opportunity to latch his legs around Hodge’s waist, quickly turning underneath Hodge so one of his legs swings around to Hodge’s face. He flips Hodge over so that his back is to the mat, and pulls on his arm, bending it to its absolute limit. Hodge yells out in pain. Hodge tries desperately to escape the hold, but after a few futile attempts and the same painful pressure Alec has on him, he taps against the mat in defeat.

“And stop!”

Robert’s voice rings out against the cement walls. Alec releases Hodge from the hold and lets out a shaky breath. He stands up and offers Hodge a hand.

“Guess you were wrong about me going soft,” Alec jokes, a playful smile crossing his face.

Hodge chuckles. “Well played, Lightwood.” He gives Alec a supportive pat on the back.

“Alec Lightwood,” a voice interjects. Both Alec and Hodge turn to the dark, curly haired man who sits in the middle of the board members. His expression is smug. “You had a couple of sloppy movements in the beginning, but you recuperated and managed to get Hodge to tap out.” Hodge nudges him slightly.

“Thank you, Director Aldertree.”

Aldertree and the other board members rise. “Needless to say, I believe the board has made their decision.” The board members nod, almost in unison. Aldertree extends out his hand and Alec shakes it firmly. “Welcome back to the force, Mr. Lightwood.”

Alec gives a smile to Aldertree and the rest of the board. Maryse and Robert approach him once again, and he resists the urge to run from them.

“Very well done, son,” Robert praises with a curt nod. “The Brooklyn precinct will benefit from your skills.” He almost forms a smile. “Tell Isabelle we miss her.”

Alec’s smile falters a bit at that. After everything that happened with Max, his parents pushed everyone away. Maryse and Robert grew rigid, putting their children up to standards they could never achieve, especially for Izzy. Alec remembers the day she told them she got a job as a forensic analyst, and how much yelling there was and how she had come to Alec’s apartment in a mess of tears.

“Right,” Alec responds in a voice he doesn’t really recognize. “I trust the paperwork for my transfer will be dealt with accordingly?”

Maryse nods. “We’ll need you to sign a couple of forms for us to officially approve the transfer and to assign you back onto the force. If you want, we can get those done now.”

 _YES,_ Alec thinks. He doesn’t want another excuse to come back here anytime soon. He grabs his jacket and follows his parents out of the practice room and through the halls of the precinct.

The precinct itself is nostalgic to say the least. He remembers walking down the halls with Aline and bragging about who had the worst case that day. It was always Alec. Always.

They turn a corner that opens up to the main office, where the other officers sit at their respective desks. Some of them look up from their desks as the Lightwoods enter.

“Hey, Alec!” One of the officers perks up. Alec swears that every head in the precinct turns towards him as some of the officers approach him. They pepper him with questions about the firm and how the lawyer life is going. He smiles at the warm feeling that settles in his gut. _Is it bad to say he missed this?_

“Honestly, I thought I’d never see you step foot in the precinct again,” a womanly voice coos behind him. “I was getting worried that I’d have no one to rant cases with.”

Alec turns to see the young, short Asian woman smiling up at him. His face brightens. “Aline!” He swoops her up into a large hug, picking her up off her feet. After a cheerful giggle between the two, he sets her back down. “I didn’t know you were still at the precinct.”

She smiles brightly at him. “You never came often enough to know I never left.”

Alec’s smile falters into a hurt look. “God, Aline, I’m so sorry—”

“Don’t worry, Alec,” she reassures. “I know how much you wanted to get out of here after those two turned to stone,” she jokes, nodding towards Maryse and Robert, who stand in his office. She directs her gaze back to Alec. “What brings you to the precinct?”

Alec bites his lip. “I…I’m being reinstated.” He watches her brows furrow. “I’m going to be transferred to the Brooklyn precinct.”

Aline’s eyes widen suddenly as her hand rests on his forearm in surprise. “What?!” She exclaims. “Reinstatement? But I thought you were working at the firm? Did Lydia—?”

“I’m still a defense attorney,” Alec interrupts. “Lydia put me on a tough case and after some…troubles in court, she thought maybe getting me into the ‘meat’ of the case would be better.”

Aline gives a wary look. “Which case?”

Alec looks around nervously before he leans closer, his voice a hushed whisper. “The Magnus Bane case.”

Her mouth drops open almost comically. “Damn Alec,” she chuckles lowly, “You’ve officially out-bested me on have the worst case ever.” She laughs as Alec gives her a playful shove.

“He’s not all that bad, Aline,” Alex states, earning a disbelieving look from her. “Look, despite the fact he’s got murder charges against him, he’s still a very down-to-earth, care for his friends type of guy.”

Aline frowns. “Alec, he’s killed 17, no, 18 people.”

Alec steps to the side, dragging her away slightly from the prying ears of the other officers. “About that…Lydia and I both believe there’s more to the stories than the files lead on.”

Aline quirks a brow. “So that’s why she wants you to be reinstated?”

Alec shrugs. “Among other reasons.”

Her eyes narrow. “Okay, Lightwood, spill.”

“What do you mean?”

She gives a deadpan look. “Did you forget I’ve grown up in this precinct with you? I can tell when you’re hiding something.”

Alec lets out an aggravated sigh, rolling his eyes slightly. “Okay, Izzy,” he mocks, “I’ll tell you.” He looks over his shoulder to see that the other officers have gone back to their work. He turns back to Aline. “I also agreed to the reinstatement because the likelihood of proving Magnus is innocent is better.”

Aline’s eyes widen. “Oh my god, Alec,” her mouth curves into a mischievous grin, “Are you referring to a client by their _first name_? You never do that!” She laughs. “He must be a special case indeed.”

“Yeah,” Alec agrees, his lips curving into a smile. “Magnus is…” He thinks to the way Magnus would walk with a certain grace around his home, how he’d laugh and wipe all of Alec’s worries away, how he’d look at Alec with those warm, brown eyes full of endearment and—

“Earth to Alec??” She laughs as Alec shakes his head of his thoughts. “Thought I lost you there.” She quirks a brow. “So ‘Magnus is…?’”

“Magnus is uh…” He struggles to find the words, “quite magical.”

Aline makes a bemused face, her eyebrows lift slightly. “Quite magical indeed if he can make you zone out like that.” Alec’s brows furrow. Aline holds up her hands in defense. “I’m not trying to insinuate anything between you two, but I can tell there is definitely magic in the air.” She winks to Alec, whose cheeks grow a bit hotter at her comment, before returning to her work at her desk.

Alec sighs, turning towards Robert’s office. He steps across the threshold, noticing how the warm feeling of nostalgia has suddenly vanished. Robert’s office looks almost the exact same as it did years before. It’s polished and clean, unnaturally so, and pictures of his siblings and various family trips hang along the wall, as well as his documentation of chief of police. If he thinks hard enough, Alec can see a young Jace and Izzy tugging at their father’s jacket to hurry up with his work after a long day. Alec lets a sad smile cross his face.

“All you have to sign are these few referrals,” Robert states distantly, placing the files on his desk. “I have to get to a meeting, but don’t let my absence stop you.” He walks across the room towards the door, “When you are finished, just leave the papers on my desk and we’ll handle the rest.” With a nod from Alec, Robert leaves, letting Alec and Maryse sit together in tense silence.

“Alec, I—”

“So these are all the forms I have to sign then?” Alec interrupts, taking the papers into his hands. Sure enough, they’re just the basic forms.

Maryse nods. “Just sign and date where it says.” Alec nods, grabbing a pen to sign through the documents. Silence falls over them again, with Alec’s scribbling against the paper the only sound that resonates between them. After a deep sigh, Maryse stands and closes the door to Robert’s office.

Alec’s brows knit together. “What are you doing?”

“Alec,” she turns to him, her face a look of distress. “I know it’s been a while since we spoke, but—”

“It’s been four years, Mother,” Alec snaps back.

She wears a regretful look. “…Yes. It’s been a rough four years for all of us.” Alec rolls his eyes. “Alec, I want to apologize.”

Alec’s movements stop, his eyes widening. He looks to her in shock, studying her face to check if she’s playing games or if she’s serious. All Alec sees, however, is Maryse’s regretful look. “Why?”

She looks down to her feet. “It’s inexcusable, the way I’ve treated you…no, treated all my kids these past four years.” Her voice wavers a bit. “There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by since you left that I don’t regret my actions.” She looks up at Alec again. “It’s just, I know you left the precinct because of everything that happened with Max and—”

“Stop,” Alec says harshly. He does _not_ want to bring this up again. “I’m being reinstated for my case, not because I want to come back to this.” Alec states grimly, looking back to the files.

Maryse is quiet until Alec finishes signing all the papers. He stands up and turns to Maryse, handing her his completed paperwork. Before he can leave, however, Maryse stops him, her hands resting lightly against his biceps.

“Alec,” she starts, her voice shakes as her eyes reflect sadness, “what happened to Max was not your fault.”

Alec’s eyes widen at her statement. There’s a jolt of shock that flows through his bones at her words. They’re so raw and hit Alec deep in his bones.

 _No,_ he thinks. _What happened to Max is my fault. I got him killed. It’s my fault._

He steps out of Maryse’s grasp and shakes his head. “I have to get going.” Without another word to her or the rest of the officers, Alec slips out of the Manhattan precinct, desperate to get away from the past that continues to haunt him.

 

~~~~

 

Its two weeks later when Alec officially joins the Brooklyn precinct.

There’s a large press release that covers the event. There are cameras flashing and people gathering around who marvel at the fact that one of New York’s most famous lawyers has made it back onto the police force. He shakes hands with Luke and finds himself featured in the paper a few days later.

Needless to say, it’s a bit strange.

Alec no longer has to wear a full suit to work. Instead, he wears a regular black t-shirt, leather jacket, and dark jeans with his old combat boots from training. He stands in the mirror, looking at himself and takes a deep breath in. It reminds him of the first day he was introduced to the Manhattan precinct. He remembers how Max stood in the doorway with his jaw to the floor, spouting various praises of how cool he looked.

But there’s no praises this time. It’s just him standing in the mirror in uniform. He sighs, turning to grab his keys and walk to the train station.

 

~~~~

 

“Alec!”

Izzy is the first one to greet him as the elevator opens and he spills out into the main office of the Brooklyn precinct. She runs to him, defying gravity with her high heel boots, and brings him into a warm, healing hug. Alec’s arms wrap around her smaller frame as he smiles.

“Hey, Iz,” he smiles, “long time no see.”

Izzy breaks the hug, pushing away from him. “Luke was waiting for you to get here to introduce you to the precinct and to assign you to your first mission!”

Alec’s brows furrow. “But I thought I was sticking to the Bane case?”

“You are,” she agrees, nudging him towards the front of the room, “He knows more of the details about it than I do though. I’m just the one who examines the bodies.”

Alec chuckles as Izzy leads them to the front of the room, where the officers sit around joking and laughing and ultimately having a good time. When Luke walks in, everyone quiets.

“Good morning officers,” he greets with a smile. “Alaric, hope you didn’t drink too much last night, cause you’ll be covering the Laurens case.”

Alaric, a man in his mid-30s, groans. The rest of the officers laugh but it dissolves as Luke holds up a hand.

“Before we get started, I want to introduce all of you to our newest officer of the BPD.” He gestures to Alec, who walks up and stands next to Luke. “Mr. Lightwood is joining us from the Branwell & Monteverde firm in Manhattan and was reinstated as an officer just a few days ago.” Luke smiles brightly. “He’ll be helping us with wrapping up the Bane case as well. Treat him well!”

The officers give their welcomes to Alec as Luke shifts gears and assigns the officers to their own respective cases for the day. Some officers are stuck doing file work while others prepare to go out for patrols. The bustling nature of the Brooklyn precinct is similar to the one in Manhattan, but Alec notices that the air is much warmer and friendlier here.

No wonder Izzy wanted to work over here.

“Alec,” Luke says, shaking him from his thoughts, “You’ll be working with me today. We’ll be looking through some of Magnus’ things today over at his house. You know, to see if we can find any evidence that further proves if he’s guilty or not.”

Alec’s stomach twists. The thought of going through Magnus’ house without him there just sounds _awful_ to Alec. He understands why it’d be necessary, and he had heard from Izzy a few days ago that Luke had gotten the warrant for it. But still…

“Before I forget,” Luke adds as they walk down one of the hallways, “We need to get you your gun.” He stops, turning the corner and filing into a room with various lockers. He unlocks one of them and turns to Alec with a clipboard. “Just sign here.” Alec signs, and Luke hands him his own Beretta 92.

It’s a bit heavier than he remembers it to be, but the cool metal against his hands feels all too familiar. He holsters it against his hip.

“Alright then,” Alec says with a slight smile, “let’s get to work.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus’ first days in Edom prove that prison won’t be easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we go folks, the impending Edom angst appears! 
> 
> Please note that this section of the story does get graphic at times, including moments of PTSD, panic attacks, prison violence and abuse, as well as graphic depictions of said violence. Please tread carefully and stay safe.

_It’s over._

That’s the first thing Magnus thinks when he’s shoved out of the courtroom after the train wreck that he could call the court case. He knew this would be impossible from the start. Even if he had Alec, the best defense lawyer of Manhattan, there’s only so much he could do.

The officers push him through the back doors of the court room, and Magnus immediately stops restraining against them. He’s tired of fighting this battle he can’t hope to win.

They push him into an elevator as they travel down to the basement floor, where they bring him into a holding cell. They take his belongings, his cell phone, his keys, even his rings and jewelry and put them in a plastic grey bin, most likely to ship it back to his house. After taking all his possessions, they shove him into the holding cell as the bars clang shut behind him. As the sound echoes in his ears, the air is suddenly much colder and Magnus feels the shiver wind up his spine.

Before his legs give out, he takes a seat on the metal bench against the wall of the cell. Magnus squeezes his eyes shut and rests his head against the wall, exhaling a sigh.

“Did you see that Lightwood kid in court?” One of the officers perks up.

The other officer laughs a bit, sipping at his coffee. “Yeah, the poor child didn’t stand a chance against Prosecutor Malachi.” He makes eye contact with Magnus for a second before tearing it away. “Guess that’s what happens when you get called to defend a murderer.”

Magnus sighs, bringing his knees up to his chest. They’re trying to ruse him, to get a reaction out of him so that they have something else to pin him on. He knows. This isn’t his first time in a cell like this.

_“Kitty,” a young Magnus states, looking at the young Peruvian girl who sits with him in the holding cell, “yelling at them won’t do you any good.”_

_Kitty scoffs. “They piss me off though!” She kicks the metal bars, earning a warning yell from one of the officers. She sticks out her tongue to them. The officers come closer to her to scold her, but she takes the opportunity to drag one of them face first into the bars. She slams him against the bars so hard he drops to the floor almost instantly. Magnus winced._

 

Needless to say, Kitty didn’t get out as easily as Magnus did that day.

…

……

Time seems to creep by so slowly. Magnus had hoped that Alec would come to discuss what they could do to free him, but he knew an appeal was out of the question right now. They simply didn’t have the evidence. His mind remembered the words Alec said to him before he was dragged out of court:

_I will get you out of this, Magnus. I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to get you out._

Alec had said that to him. He made a promise to Magnus to do what he could to turn the case around, to get him out of this as soon as possible. Magnus’ hands shook. _How long would that be though_?

“Magnus Bane.”

The call of his name snaps Magnus out of his spiraling thoughts. He looks up from his self-questioning to see Luke right outside the cell. The officers from before, as well as some of the members of his personal house arrest squad are with him. Luke wears a distressed look.

“Lucien—”

“They are ready for the transfer,” he interrupts. “We’ll be transporting you to Edom.”

Magnus’ heart sinks and he instantly feels sick. _Edom_. He’s familiar with the name like every Downworlder is. Some of his people had been sent there before; others only knew what dangers were behind those prison walls.

Magnus knew one danger in particular.

Luke unlocks the cell door as his officers file in and link Magnus in the handcuffs he’s so used to wearing. He’s pushed up to his feet as he’s guided up out of the courthouse and into the armored van. He’s got officers on all sides of him, pressed and ready to restrain him further if necessary. Magnus takes in a deep breath.

Luke sits across from Magnus as the truck begins to move. “Magnus,” he starts, “when we get to Edom, the council will be in charge of your accommodations.” He wears a sad look. “I wish I could do something for you, but—”

“Don’t fret, Lucien,” Magnus reassures, though it sounds forced. “I will be fine.” Luke doesn’t seem to believe him. Magnus wouldn’t see why he would ever believe him. 

It’s quiet for the rest of the ride to Edom. After about 20 minutes, the road turns bumpy and uneven, and Magnus knows they’re approaching Edom soon. He hangs his head in defeat. _This was not what was supposed to happen._

The truck comes to a standstill not long after, and the doors open up and sure enough, Magnus Bane is within the gates of Edom.

_God save his soul._

Luke guides him into the prison, where various other officers catch sight of him and all share the same wide-eyed look. Some of them whisper to their colleagues while other sneer and call names in spite. They tread down the hall until Luke stops, opening a door to reveal a bland, closed off room. There are no windows, just stone brick walls on every side and a table and two chairs in the middle for interviews.

He’s guided to one of the chairs where Luke attaches his cuffs to the bottom of the table. He gives an experimental tug, and when the handcuffs don’t budge, Luke gives a satisfied nod.

“Lucien,” Magnus calls out desperately as he watches Luke cross back over towards the door. He doesn’t want Luke to leave. He’s the only person who could save him from the hell that is Edom. “Lucien, please tell me it will be okay.”

Luke gives a sad glance. _I should have known_ , Magnus thinks, _there’s no way to promise you’ll be okay in prison_.

“I know it may seem hopeless,” Luke states, his hand on the doorknob, “but whatever you do, Magnus, don’t stop fighting. Alec is fighting for you, and I’ve requested that he join forces with my team to try and deliver the justice you deserve.” He gives a sad smile to Magnus. “The war isn’t over, Magnus. So don’t give up the minute you are knocked down.”

Magnus resists the urge to cry. Luke has always been there for him, even in tough times. He’s seen the worst of Magnus, and still trusts him enough to update him on the fact that _Alec’s still fighting_.

When Magnus looks up again, however, Luke is gone.

 

~~~~

 

The entire holding process is one of the most awful experiences Magnus has ever been through. There’s a constant wait between those who come in and out of the room to get information on him. He’d spent over an hour with the officers who were taking every detail they could from him. Date of birth, hometown, parents, past occupation, details of his case, what he was convicted of, etc. The list went on and on.

Then—of course—after all the information was collected, a pair of prison security guards ushered him to a different room, shoving a dark blue jumpsuit and a white tank top into his hands. They gave him these impossibly bright white shoes as well.

Taking off his clothes, the vest and the tie and the formal dress clothes he loved to wear, was unbearable. He loved the feeling of the smooth cotton against his skin and the silk of the tie as it fastened around his neck. But now he was forced into wearing the itchy, coarse fibers of this prison uniform.

Which, if he were to be completely honest, was not flattering his figure in _any_ way.

Magnus paused. _Good to know my sense of humor hasn’t completely disappeared,_ he thought.

The door opened suddenly, causing Magnus to jolt in surprise. A rather large officer stood in the doorway, taking his clothes and putting them in a plastic bin, much like at the courthouse. He hands Magnus some wipes. Magnus quirks a brow.

“No makeup,” the officer states plainly, then gestures to the dark liner that rims his eyes. Magnus’ eyes widen before nodding. He takes the makeup wipes and brings them across his eyes. He can feel the makeup lifting from his skin.

Frankly, it feels like a part of him is disappearing.

With the kohl gone from his eyes, he nods to the officer, who guides him out of the suffocating holding room and into a wider, less constricting room. He’s given a bundle of blankets, as well as a net bag that holds a plastic cup, plate, a few toiletry items such as a toothbrush, and some other small basics before being pushed into a new section of the prison.

Magnus can tell the immediate difference in quality. The air is stale and suffocating, and Magnus suppresses a shiver as he follows the officer down the halls. They spill out into a cell block, and Magnus tries his best to keep his eyes on the officers back. But as he walks past each cell, more prisoners clamor up, yelling and drawing attention to the newest member of the prison.

The officer stops on the third floor block with the cell close to the back of the prison. He clangs his baton against the railing, and after a loud buzz, the cell C78 opens. With one last anxious glance to the officer, he steps in and the door closes behind him.

“Make yourself comfortable, Bane,” the officer grunts. “You’ll be here a good while.”

And with that, Magnus is left to himself…almost.

He turns to see a young man with dark skin and hair, his angular features pronounced. He notices the scar on the underside of his right eye. He also has tattoos around his neck and the sides of his face. “Oh,” Magnus says softly, “I wasn’t aware I had a cell mate, I’m—”

“Magnus Bane,” the young man interrupts, sitting up from the top bunk. He shrugs. “You’re quite the talk since we heard about your case,” he states, a small smirk crossing his face.

Magnus stiffens. “…and you are?”

He straightens up a bit, letting his shoulder-length hair fall to the side. “Meliorn. Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Mr. Bane.”

Magnus nods. “Likewise.”

Meliorn gives him a once over before laying back on his bunk, turning away from Magnus. “Make yourself comfortable, Bane,” he muffles out, “cause tomorrow starts your first full day in Edom.”

 

~~~~

 

Needless to say, sleep didn’t come easy. By the time Magnus can shut his eyes without the plague of nightmares, the loud buzzer rings out and the cell doors open. The guards are yelling, and all Magnus wants to do is stay in the bunk.

His eyes ease open to see Meliorn stretching out. His gaze meets Magnus’. “Better get moving, Bane,” he says before walking out into the main area. Magnus slips out of the bed, rolling his stiff shoulders. With a sigh, he takes a step out of the cell and into the main space. His eyes widen.

 _There are so many prisoners_ , he thinks as his eyes go back and forth from floor to floor. The line extends for what seems like miles. There are a variety of inmates, those who look like they’d be eaten alive and others who look like your stereotypical beat-you-to-a-pulp inmates. Magnus looks down at his feet, suddenly feeling small and insignificant.

It’s the gentle tapping across the floor of the prison that shakes Magnus of his thoughts. He looks up to see an older gentleman crossing the floor. His eyes widen. The man is almost…. _glowing_. His skin is fair and his blond hair has been slicked back into place. He’s dressed equally as bright, in a spotless white suit with a gold vest, tie, and pocket square. His shoes are the only thing dark about him, and even then, those Italian leather shoes aren’t at all that dark.

The gold man is followed by a multitude of officers, Magnus notices. As they walk into the center of the room, the prison grows eerily quiet.

“Good morning,” the gold man says, though a smile fails to cross his features. “I believe we have some new faces here with us, gentlemen.” He nods to his officers, who collectively separate as they pull prisoners from the line off of each floor.

One of them comes for Magnus, cuffing his hands and pushing him down the stairwell until he’s grouped with the other new inmates. Once everyone is lined up, the gold man steps forward. Magnus is almost shocked at how flawless the man looks up close, as not even a hair on his head is out of place. He swallows.

“This is Mr. Verlac, captain of the guard, and I am Raziel, the warden. You all are convicted felons,” he notes, his golden eyes passing over the inmates, “which is why you have been sent here.” His eyes catch Magnus’, and he can feel the hairs stand up on his neck in fear. Raziel moves on. “There are rules here that you must follow. The most important rule: I will tolerate no blasphemy of any kind. The rest of the rules you will figure out during your time here. Any questions?”

The entire prison is silent as the other inmates watch the group like vultures waiting for their next meal.

“…when will we eat?”

There are snickers from the other inmates, but they are quickly hushed as Raziel looks to Mr. Verlac with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. It only takes a glance for Mr. Verlac to step up, his steps dangerous as he stands in front of the poor inmate who asked the question. He looks as terrified as Magnus feels.

“You eat when we say you eat, you work when we say you work, and you speak when we say you speak,” he yells out. “Is that clear, maggot?” He doesn’t wait for a reply before giving a firm punch to the inmate’s stomach with his baton. The inmate coughs out, falling to his knees. “On your feet.”

Magnus takes a deep breath as he looks to Raziel, who doesn’t bat an eyelash at Mr. Verlac’s actions. “There are two principles I believe in. Justice,” he walks closer to Magnus, who can feel his knees shaking in fear. “And discipline. If you follow the rules, you will be fine.” A ghost of a smile appears on his features. “Welcome to Edom.”

 

~~~~

 

When the afternoon sun hits his skin, Magnus almost cries tears of joy. The interior of Edom is suffocating and dark, with hardly any windows to the outside world. But the minute they are let out into the yard, Magnus can feel the afternoon air coursing through his lungs.

He almost feels free.

The yard itself is extensively large, stretching for miles. The terrain is both a mixture of grassy and gravel, extending far out until the gates that tower over the prison. Magnus walks out into the yard, trying to disappear into the crowd of prisoners. The only problem is that because of the Warden’s “introduction ceremony,” he’s now become a spectacle for the inmates.

Magnus can feel the stares as he ventures further out into the yard. Various groups nudge each other as they walk by. He can hear them muttering and laughing, and it terrifies him to think that he could _ever_ fit in with these people. He’s innocent for god sakes! He didn’t kill anyone…

“Magnus Bane,” a smooth male voice coos. Magnus turns to see a group of inmates approach him. The leader, he assumes, is a tall man with an ageless face. His shoulders are broad and he wears the same dark blue jumpsuit as all the other inmates do. He smirks at Magnus. “We’ve heard quite a lot about you.”

Magnus tenses. “I’m sure.”

One of the other members chuckles. The leader gestures to one of the picnic tables. “Come and sit with us.”

Magnus’ brows knit together. “I think I’ll pass—” Magnus states, backing up. However, he bumps into one of the other members of the group, who is much taller and bulkier than Magnus. He looks back to the leader, who smiles.

“ _Oh no_ ,” he says dangerously, “I insist.”

After a moment, Magnus nods as they lead him to a table. Their mere presence scares away the two inmates who were there before. They sit around the table, squishing Magnus between two of the stockier men. He already feels too intimidated.

“So then, Mr. Bane,” the man starts, leaning forward on his hands, “Tell us a bit about yourself.”

“There’s not much to tell.”

“Nonsense,” another member speaks up, nudging him roughly. “Everyone’s got a story here.”

Magnus swallows. “…I killed a man,” he lies.

They don’t seem at all impressed. “We’ve all killed at least one here,” he states. “What I want to know is why you did it. How’d it _feel_ to know his life was slipping through your very fingers?”

Magnus is immediately shaken. He didn’t kill Imasu. He was murdered while Magnus was looking for Camille. He knew practically nothing about how Imasu died, nor did he want to think about it. He looks up at the broad-shouldered man.

“It felt uh…” He studies the table looking for an answer, “invigorating.”

The men nod in approval and the broad-shouldered man smirks at him. “You know what, Bane?” He asks, “I think you’d make a nice addition to our group.”

 _Oh no,_ Magnus thinks. These were not the people he wanted to get involved with. They just screamed trouble, and at this point, that was the last thing Magnus wanted.

“I appreciate the offer, but—”

“Are you saying you don’t want to join us?” One of the inmates asks. Magnus can feel all eyes on him, and he can hear his heart beating in his ears.

“Look, I just need to sort things out and—”

“Oh _I see_ ,” broad-shouldered man says, his eyes widening and a humorous expression crossing his face. “You think you’re innocent, don’t you?”

“I don’t want any trouble—”

“He does!” Another inmate interrupts as they all laugh at him. Magnus’ legs are shaking now. He’s going to get torn apart by these men if he stays. He can’t stay here any longer. Magnus pushes out of his seat, breaking off their laughter. “Hey,” one of the inmates clamors, taking a firm grip of Magnus’ wrist. “We’re not finished here.”

Magnus winces a bit at the grip, but wrestles out of it soon enough. He takes a few steps back from the group, who stare dangerously at him. “Like I said, I appreciate the offer, but I’m going to have to decline.”

“You don’t want to do that, Bane,” the broad-shouldered man says, rising from the table. “You should join us. I can’t promise your safety if you don’t.”

Magnus closes his eyes for a second, taking in a deep breath before meeting the broad-shouldered man’s gaze. “No, I’m not going to join. I’m sorry.” And without another look, Magnus turns on his heel, headed back inside to the prison.

 

~~~~

 

The first time Magnus steps into the dining hall is another big feat. Like the yard, all of the inmates are packed in together, watched carefully by the eyes of the guard. Magnus stands in the line, waiting for his food as he scans the room, looking for the least shady spot.

 _It almost feels like middle school again_ , he thinks. It’s life or death practically.

The slop he’s served for food is hardly appetizing. How he’d kill for some lamb kabob from SoHo.

He turns back to the room, feeling small and insignificant as his eyes trail around the tables. It isn’t long until someone catches his eye. The man is surprisingly young, and he eats in a more secluded area with his head down. With somewhat confident strides, Magnus walks over to the table and wordlessly sits across from him.

“It’s like a battlefield,” he says, not making eye contact with the young man, “I just want to sit where the least casualties are.”

He hears a chuckle from across the table, and looks up to see the man’s hint of a smile. His sharp features are highlighted by the fluorescent lights above.

“You’re damn right about that.”

Magnus gives a cautious glance around the rest of the room before he leans in closer. “Are you new here?”

The man’s smile fades. “No, I’m not,” he says, picking his food with his fork. “Got admitted here a month or so ago.” He shrugs. “I guess that’s still relatively new, but you learn quick here.”

Magnus nods. “I’m Magnus. I—”

“You’re the supposed serial killer of Brooklyn,” the man interrupts. “I bet the Warlocks are scrambling right now trying to figure out what to do without a leader.”

Magnus’ eyes widen. “You know about the Downworlders?”

The man looks over his shoulder before he directs his dark eyes back to Magnus. It’s then when Magnus sees the scar on his lower lip. The man furrows his brows as he lifts the sleeve of his prison jumper. Sure enough, there’s a small ‘w’ on the inside of his wrist, small enough to not rouse suspicion, but meaningful enough to those who know the sign.

“You’re a warlock?” Magnus whispers out, a sudden rush coursing through his veins. _This man is a warlock, someone who knows of my life before, someone—_

“I used to be,” the man interrupts again. “But I got busted, and now I’m here.” The corner of the man’s lips twitch upward slightly. “I’m Elias, if we’re exchanging names.”

Magnus smiles a bit. “Elias…yes, from what I’ve heard, you were climbing up the posts in the warlocks. I’m surprised they didn’t elect you as High Warlock.”

Elias almost chokes on his drink. “High Warlock?” He questions before chuckling. “Oh no, not I. Too many of the warlocks were hopeful that you’d come back. But when bodies started dropping and Camille’s warning, they started getting antsy.”

Magnus furrows his brows. “Camille’s warning?”

Elias’s eyes widen. “Did you not hear of it?” Magnus shakes his head. “Once the first few victims related to you came out, Camille started going on about something about ‘not recognizing him anymore’ and ‘he’s changed’ types of ideas. From the sounds of it, she believed that you killed them.”

Magnus’ brows furrow. “There’s nothing that has happened in the past 5 years since I left the Downworld that would ever influence me to do that.” He looks down at some of his food. “The Warlocks…no, the Downworlders are my family. I wouldn’t ever trample on the pride I have for you like that.”

Elias smiles. “I know. Camille likes to blow smoke up everyone’s ass,” he states, earning a chuckle from Magnus. “Look, there’s nothing much we can do about the situation now that we’re in here,” he starts, looking back at Magnus. “But if you ever need anything, just call on me and I’ll be there. To me, you’re still the High Warlock.”

Magnus looks up at Elias, searching his face with concern. “Do you believe I killed those people?”

Elias contemplates the question for a moment before shaking his head. “The Magnus Bane I knew wouldn’t hurt a soul. I still believe that.”

Magnus nods to him. “Thank you.”

Elias smiles at him before diverting back to his meal. Magnus shouldn’t think so much of the action, but he does. Even in this hellhole, he’s found someone who understands the situation and who believes he’s as innocent as he knows he is.

And to Magnus, right now that’s enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, prison isn't the kindest place to be...
> 
> We'll see more of Magnus' prison life in the next chapter, as well as the investigation on Alec's side of the story! We'll get to see a lot of Luke and Alec teaming up whoopwhoop
> 
> see you in the next chapter! :^)
> 
> -ev


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Luke make strides in the Bane case. Magnus faces a worthy adversary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings for this chapter: Graphic Depiction of Violence, PTSD, Prison Violence and Abuse

Being in Magnus’ house without him there leaves a strange feeling in Alec’s gut. The house remains in the exact state he had seen it before, with coffee mugs on the table and dishes left in the sink. _It almost appears like someone still lives here,_ Alec thinks.

“We’ll be looking around to see if there’s anything here that can be considered evidence for the murder case,” Luke states as he scans through some of the letters on the kitchen counter.

“Seems a bit invasive, doesn’t it?” Alec asks.

Luke chuckles. “We have a warrant, and the accused is currently in Edom,” he states, looking around at the few pieces of artwork hanging in Magnus’ kitchen. “Whatever we do today is approved by both the courts and the precinct.”

Alec presses his lips into a firm line. He still doesn’t like the feeling of going through Magnus’ things. There are things that could be really personal to him here.

“I’ll start in the office space,” Luke declares as he turns towards the living room. He points down the hall. “There’s a guest room he uses for storage and then his bedroom. Take a look through his room first, then we’ll tackle the second bedroom together.”

Alec feels dread flood his body. Of all the times he had been over before Magnus was sentenced, his bedroom seemed so off-limits, so… _private_. But Luke gives him a look and Alec turns down the hall until he stands face to face with the dark red door leading into Magnus’ bedroom. He closes his eyes, giving a silent apology as he opens the door and steps into the room.

Magnus’ bedroom is a stark contrast from the rest of the house. Unlike the pale walls of the other rooms, the bedroom walls are a dark grey, almost black. One of the walls—Alec notices—is comprised entirely of red bricks. The décor is also strikingly different. His bed is rather large, dressed with red silk sheets and an over-abundance of throw pillows. The canopy surrounding the bed is drawn back, and Alec can almost imagine why Magnus would draw the curtains to hide himself away from the world.

He shakes his head of the thought. He can’t get carried away with thoughts like that, not now anyways. He turns to see the bulky dresser, which is covered with a variety of jewelry pieces and photographs. Alec notes the multitude of pictures that feature a pale-faced man and a smiling nurse. _These two must be Ragnor and Catarina,_ he guesses. His eyes roam over the pictures before he catches a particular photo that stands out from the others.

The photo is of a young Magnus with a particularly attractive woman. She looks a bit like Izzy, with the same dark, wavy hair and rose red lips. She wears a tight fitted black dress and Magnus has his arms draped around her, smiling at the camera. _A past lover perhaps_?

Alec bites his lip, looking over his shoulder to see if Luke has finished. When he finds himself still alone, he sneaks the photo of the two into his pocket. Perhaps Magnus can explain who the woman is.

Unfortunately, there’s not much else in Magnus’ room that really stands out. After hesitantly searching through drawers and closets, Alec fails to find any trace of bloody clothes or victim trophies. With a frown, he steps out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

“Find anything?” Luke asks. Alec shakes his head.

“Not a thing that seemed to indicate he was troubled. There were a lot of photos between him and his friends, I assumed, but nothing to indicate that he was unhappy or suppressing himself in any way.”

Luke nods. “After Magnus left the Downworld, he spent a lot of time with Ragnor Fell and Catarina Loss, both of which he’s known for years.”

“Did you interview them when the bodies turned up?”

“Of course,” Luke agrees. “They both indicated that murder was out of character for Magnus, but neither could produce a solid alibi for Magnus at the time of the murders.”

“Then what about—?”

A loud, tumbling crash interrupts his question. Almost instinctively, Alec goes for his gun as both he and Luke spill out into the living room. Luke disappears back into the office space before yelling out “Clear!”

Alec turns back to the hall and stands by the door to the other bedroom. With a nervous exhale, he opens the door swiftly, analyzing the room with his gun ready. Unlike all the other rooms of Magnus’ home, this one is _trashed_. The medicine cabinets and cupboards have been thrown open, and various contents of medicinal herbs and glassware are splayed across the floor. Alec looks up to see the window has been shattered and its remnants lie on the floor and desk.

“Alec?” Luke yells out, a bit of desperation in his voice. He appears in the doorway, gun in hand. He lowers it and wears a wide-eyed look at the state of the room.

“Looks like someone made a real mess of things,” Alec notes as he steps towards the window. “We should call Izzy, see if she can get any prints from anything in here.”

Luke hums in agreement.

“Did you know about what was in this room?” Alec asks, turning back towards Luke.

“Yes,” he replies, crouching down to look at some of the broken glassware and spilled contents on the floor. “Magnus dabbled in herbal medicines,” he states. “He mentioned how he learned it because of the Downworld. There were too many members who didn’t want to go to a hospital and risk getting handed over to the police, so they went to other Downworlders who knew enough about medicine to seek treatment.”

Alec frowns. “Is the Downworlder problem really that bad here?”

Luke shrugs. “Ever since Aldertree was appointed, he’s been issuing orders to control Downworlder activity in Manhattan,” he states. “Brooklyn’s always been a hub for Downworlder activity, but the recent spike of Downworlder related crimes isn’t helping the problem.”

“And Magnus’ case makes it even worse, doesn’t it?”

“Exactly.”

Alec frowns again as he glances around the room once more. A slight movement, followed by a soft cry comes from behind one of the shelves. Alec steps towards the noise, peeking behind the shelf.

“Hey kitty,” Alec coos gently, his features softening as he reaches for the cat. It retreats slightly at his movements, but when Alec persists, the cat stalks forward. Alec’s hands lightly wrap around his body and picks the him up, holding the small grey feline to his chest. It purrs in contentment.

“Chairman Meow?” Luke asks with a breathy laugh, coming forward to stroke his dark fingers against the cat’s fur.

Alec sputters. “Chairman what?”

“Chairman Meow,” Luke says a bit flatly. “He’s Magnus’. The little thing must have gotten caught in here amongst all the chaos.”

“Well he sure as hell didn’t do that,” Alec jokes as he gestures to the window. Luke laughs again.

“Cats are prone to their own fair share of carnage, but even this is excessive for such a small thing.”

Alec looks down at the cat in his arms. “You know, I didn’t really peg Magnus for a cat-type person.”

Luke’s face falls. “He’s not really, that cat is the only exception.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

Luke takes a sharp intake of breath, as if he’s hesitant to tell the information. “Magnus doesn’t like to talk about stuff that happened in his past, as you’ve probably noticed.” Alec nods. “All I know about the cat is that he got it after he left the Downworld. When I asked Catarina about it, she had indicated that it might have something to do with Camille.”

Alec tensed. _Camille_. There was the name again. She always seemed to be popping up in Magnus’ life, but he had no idea why. He wanted to ask Luke, but something in the back of his mind told him that he was only going to get some vague answer out of it. That, and the fact that Magnus still hadn’t been comfortable talking about her. Despite the aggravation he feels not knowing, he understands that Magnus will come out to him eventually about it.

That’s the hope anyway.

“We really should call Izzy,” Alec says, breaking away from his thoughts.

Luke nods to him before turning away and taking out his cell. He can hear Luke speaking to Izzy on the other line but it soon becomes background noise as he focuses in on the cat. He nuzzles the Chairman softly, and notices he has the same scent of sandalwood that Magnus does. Alec sighs. _This is all that is left of Magnus,_ he thinks. The cat purrs under him and he smiles slightly.

 _This may be all that’s left, but it’s enough_.

 

~~~~

 

He never imagined that after only two weeks in Edom, he’d be used to the prison lifestyle.

It was relatively straightforward. Eat when they say you eat, work when they say you worked, and always stay in line. It was an order simple enough for Magnus to follow. He didn’t want to fall into the wrong crowd and paint an even bigger target on his back.

He continues to fold the bed sheets in front of him. He was placed on laundry duty last week, and has enjoyed the work. He always did love cleaning.

The job is simple enough too. The washers are large and the sheets soak in the large tubs of water until they are transferred into a dryer and then are folded before they are taken back to the cell they came from. It’s always unsettling, however, when Magnus finds different things on the sheets.

Blood is the most abundant thing he finds on the sheets. It’s a pain to try and get out, mainly because of the lack of stain remover and the blood is almost never fresh. Dried blood has always been impossible to get out of clothing; he remembers that much from his days in the Downworld.

As he folds the sheets, Magnus’ mind traces back to the time Raphael stumbled upon his house after the Vamp had gotten into a nasty fight with some other rogue members.

_A faint knock draws Magnus out from reading the newest article about Manhattan’s most famous defense attorney winning another tough case. He turns to the door, and opens it, only to see Raphael grasping against the sides of the doorway. His face is riddled with blood and cuts._

_“Oh Raphael,” Magnus says, sadness dripping in his words._

_Raphael looks up at Magnus, his dark eyes standing out against his bloody face. “I didn’t know where else to go,” he says, wincing in pain at the wounds on his skin. He stumbles forward, and Magnus is immediately there to catch him as his head cradles into his silk shirt._

_Magnus didn’t give a damn about the shirt at that moment. All he cared about was Raphael. He wears a saddened look as he closes the door, guiding Raphael to the kitchen where he pulls the first aid kit from under the sink. He takes a paper towel and wets it with water before gently pressing the towel against one of Raphael’s cuts._

_“Oh my poor boy,” he says in a cool, calm tone, “Everything is going to be alright. I’m going to take care of you.”_

He remembers having to wash out the blood from Raphael’s clothes and to try and lift the blood from his own silk shirt. It never did come out, but it hardly mattered to him. A shirt was an easy price to pay for caring for his friend.

A loud slam of the door makes Magnus jump slightly as he directs his attention back to folding. A moment later, the same broad-shouldered man appears in his view, as well as two of his henchmen. Magnus doesn’t dare give them a second glance.

“Did you need something, Azazel?” Magnus asks as he turns back towards the drier to grab another sheet.

His hand doesn’t make contact with another sheet. Instead, he’s taken by the wrists as his arm is bent behind him. One of Azazel’s goons slams him down onto the metal table, and Magnus’ vision blurs for a moment. He tries to struggle, but he is unable to shake the hold.

Azazel walks into his line of view. “You really have some nerve, Bane,” he states. “I don’t take kindly to people rejecting my kind offers.”

Magnus lets out a breathy laugh. “Kind? I think your execution of kindness is a bit out of place there.”

Azazel glares harshly at him. “Lift him up,” he orders as the big stocky guy holding Magnus down brings him up. Azazel walks into Magnus’ space, getting right in his face. “You better watch your mouth there, Bane, or else I can’t promise that pristine face of yours stays the same.”

With a surge of bravery, Magnus scowls before spitting at him. The wet wad of saliva hits Azazel right in the face, causing him to scoff and back up a few paces. He’s fuming and Magnus can feel the hold around his arms tighten.

“Keep him still,” Azazel barks. The other goons join Azazel as he huffs out, “Make him pay.”

Magnus barely feels the first punch. The hit is rather weak, and stands little chance against his toned body. However, when the stringy man is pushed aside by one of the stockier men, Magnus knows it’s going to hurt.

And that it does. The blow lands in his gut, and Magnus can feel the pain radiate up his spine. He expels a strangled cough as the hits keep coming, unrelenting. They target his stomach first, but soon move up to his face. Magnus manages to get a few kicks in before he’s pushed to the floor, vulnerable to every attack.

One particularly rough kick hits him in the sternum, effectively knocking the wind out of him. He gasps out loudly, trying to collect air in his lungs. Another kick to his stomach has him crying out. He coughs, trying to breathe as he’s being beaten down. In his beaten haze, he looks down to the floor.

_Blood._

_Whose?_

_Mine?_

Magnus doesn’t have much time to process it before he’s pulled up by the long strands of his hair with a rough tug. He tries to pry the calloused fingers from his hair, but to no avail. The goons around him laugh.

Azazel approaches him, a ghost of a smirk crossing his features. “Very well then, Bane,” he mocks. “If you won’t join us, we’ll show you how horrible prison can be.” He steps back again, turning away from Magnus. “You know, a little bird told me not too long ago about your experiences with water…care to elaborate?”

Magnus’ eyes widen in fear. _No, no, no, no!_ He thinks, his breathing suddenly becoming more erratic. Magnus thrashes around, but the hold they have on him keeps him from getting the upper hand.

“L-Let me go, damn it!” He yells out desperately, yanking his arm away from one of the inmates only to have it taken back and restrained again. He’s shaking and he can feel the dread pooling in his stomach as Azazel turns around. This time, he wears a dark smirk, knowing that he’s officially tipped Magnus off the edge.

“Something tells me you’re afraid of the water,” he mocks. His eyes focus in on his goons, “let’s test that theory, shall we?”

Magnus’ movements are erratic and he’s kicking and screaming as the stockier inmates drag him over to the large tubs of water that hold some of the sheets waiting for drying. They hold him over the edge of the tub, and Magnus can see his panicked expression staring back at him. His body convulses at the memory.

 

_You abomination! It’s all your fault!_

 

Those words ring in his head as a large hand pushes the back of his head into the dark depths of the water. Magnus tries to resists, attempting to pull his head up out of the freezing water that surrounds his face. The resistance is met with more pressure, pushing him down further into the water. He can feel as his hands are restrained behind him, unable to push away. He kicks fervently; trying everything he can to escape this watery prison.

They continue to hold him under, and he’s panicking. He tries to hold his breath for as long as possible, but he can slowly feel the oxygen in his lungs being taken from him, exchanging the air for the dense water around him.

_He can’t breathe, he can’t, he can’t—_

Magnus is pulled back up out of the water before he can inhale any more water. He gasps loudly as he’s brought out of the water, sputtering and coughing up water. His hair sticks to his forehead and he can’t tell whether the drops from his eyes are tears or just more water.

“P-Please,” he pleads out amidst a choked sob. Before he can plead any more, however, his head is shoved back under the water, water once again forcing itself in his lungs. He can’t breathe anymore, he’s going to die, he’s going to—

There’s a loud bang that startles the group. The water muffles it, but he can hear yelling before the pressure from the hand keeping Magnus’ head under eases away. It takes him a second to realize he’s no longer being held under before lifting his head out of the water. His head feels heavy and he coughs violently, desperately trying to breathe again. Magnus’ legs give way underneath him as he slides down the side of the tub to the floor. His body shakes amidst his blubbering cries. He’s completely soaked and there’s water everywhere. He knows there will be trouble for it later.

A gentle hand rests against his arm, and in fear he slaps it away, backing away. The water in his ears muffles any sound and his eyes are still hazy. A few blinks pulls a blurry figure into view. The dark blue color surrounding them identifies them as another inmate, but Magnus can’t tell who.

“Let’s get you to the infirmary,” a gentle voice says. He offers a hand and after a moment, Magnus’ shaking fingers wrap around it. He’s hoisted to his feet, which still feel too heavy for him to walk on. There’s a gentle muttering from the other individual, and all it reminds him of is Alec.

 _Alec…_ he thinks distantly, _Alec is fighting._

If Alec could fight, Magnus thought he could too.

               

~~~~

 

“Well whoever did this was clearly looking for something of importance,” Izzy states as she brushes a swab against the broken window. “Considering the apothecary is trashed, they may have been looking for a medicine or something.”

Alec frowns. “We gathered that much,” he says flatly as he glances around the room. It didn’t take long for Izzy and her team to get here, but now that they’ve set up, the room is being searched head to toe for any traces of evidence. “Have you found anything? Like footprints or something?”

Izzy stands up fully, turning to Alec. She nods. “We found some residue from some of these medicines on the floor.” She points down to a part of the floorboard that has a yellow number next to it. “Whoever it was, they wearing those standard quality army boots. They’re probably around your size, possibly a bit more muscular based on indentation of the print and the size of shoe.”

Luke walks into the room with a pad of paper in his hands, taking quick notes. “Did any of the neighbors see anything?” Alec asks.

Luke frowns. “Some did. They said there was a tall, hooded figure.” He glances through his notes. “Some of them said they saw a man, others said they saw a woman, but none of them really match up.”

Alec scoffs. “Great. We now have destruction of property and have no clue on a possible suspect.”

“There’s more than just witness statements that could help identify who could have been here,” Izzy states, gesturing to her DNA sampling kit. “If I manage to get any samples, we could get a solid print pieced together.”

“In the meantime,” Luke starts, “we should look around the house again. There may be something that the intruder could have been looking for that we overlooked.” Alec nods, as they step out of the room to let Izzy do her magic.

“To think they were here when we were…” Alec trails off. “How’d they stay so quiet?”

Luke shakes his head as they spill out into the main living room. “I’m not sure. With the house as quiet as it is, it’s a surprise that we didn’t hear a window open beforehand.” He turns to the door. “I have to talk with some of the other officers outside, but start searching around to see if you can find anything related to the apothecary out here.” With a nod, Luke leaves him alone again.

Alec lets out an aggravated sigh. _What the hell do I even look for?_ He asks himself. He turns back to the kitchen. _Guess I can start here._

He doesn’t really know why he’d start with the kitchen. After all, there’s hardly anything that isn’t kitchen related in here. There’s some picture frames hung on the walls and a couple of magnets on the fridge. He chuckles at the one that says “It’s happy hour somewhere”. Overall though, Alec hardly finds anything out of place.

He opens a few cupboards only to find the simple kitchen glassware. Utensils, plates, bowls, wine glasses. Halfheartedly, he opens the last cupboard, expecting to see the same standard glassware. Instead, there are a plethora of papers and books stashed in the cupboard. With a furrowed brow, he picks out one of the files, opening its contents.

True to typical kitchen documentation—if there ever was such a thing—the file contains printouts of various recipes. Some are scribbled on notebook paper while others have elaborate drawings pointing to what should be added or taken out. Alec moves on, plucking another file only to read the same thing. He moves to the books, which are just the typical cookbooks. There’s quite a lot on Indonesian cuisine, he notes.

His eyes catch on one of the cookbooks in the cupboard. Unlike the others, it’s quite large, and the title is vague. Alec frowns and tries to pull it out. Surprisingly, it is much heavier to pull through than all the other cookbooks.

Alec’s brows furrow at the cookbook. It’s _huge_ and weighs like a ton of bricks in his hands. He glances around before taking the book and bringing it onto the counter. The moment he plucks the book from its confines, Alec knows something is off.

 _This isn’t a cookbook,_ he thinks as his hands trace over the cover of the book. Though it claims to be a book for a wild amount of recipes, Alec senses something off about it. His calloused fingers catch a loose seam on the cover of the book. He peels it back to reveal the book is bound in a creamy, white leather.

Alec looks over his shoulder to find himself alone. His attention falls back on the book as he pulls away the faux cover.

The book itself is beautifully crafted. It seems like its handcrafted, based on the way the pages are bound to the leather. Alec’s fingers trace against the gilded letters on the title.  His Latin is a bit rusty, but he manages to put it together.

“ _The Book of the White_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WAS LISTENING TO THE TITANIC SINKING MUSIC WHILE WRITING THE DROWNING SCENE IM SO SORRY  
> it was totally accidental and when i realized, i was just like "SHIT nO"
> 
> it was this song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7NfsnmNojw
> 
>  
> 
> Aside from that, we now have the Book of the White! Next chapter will dive more into that, anddddd we'll get to see more of our fav vamp raphael again!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus receives a new prison job while Alec seeks to know more about the book.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is one of the biggest chapters I've written with about 6,300 words alone in this one. The POV will switch between Alec and Magnus for the time being, just so we understand what's happening on both sides.

After the events of the laundry room and a good four days in the infirmary, Magnus felt odd sitting in his cell. The bed is much harder than the infirmary, and the cell walls do nothing to ease the cold feeling in his bones. He huddles underneath the sheets of his bunk in hopes to ease the shivers shaking his frame.

It doesn’t help.

 

~~~~

 

“Mr. Bane,” the officer at the head of the job office calls as he looks over Magnus’ prison file. “It seems the Laundromat was a bit too much for you.” The officer cracks a smirk in attempts at a joke.

Magnus wears a vacant expression, obviously not swayed by the attempt at humor. He just nods.

“Right,” the officer defers, “I’ll issue you to bookkeeping for the time being. You’ll be tending to the library here and making sure it stays in good shape.”

Magnus’ ears perk at the title. “L-Library?” He stammers. “I wasn’t aware we had one.”

The officer scribbles down a few notes, not looking up at Magnus. “It’s an old room that no one really uses,” he states. “You’ll mainly be dusting off books all day, but I guess that’s better than cleaning bloody sheets.”

Magnus nods hesitantly again as the officer stamps his file. He hands a clipboard to Magnus. “Sign there, and then we’ll generate the paperwork. You should be set to work by the afternoon.” Magnus takes the clipboard and signs the required line before he’s escorted out.

 _A library_ , he thinks. God how he’s missed the feeling of a library, with the scent of old pages and dust. He remembers too many nights being stuffed in that god-awful bookstore Ragnor never leaves with the books. Ragnor would always be wrapped up in his work until late in the night, and Magnus, having nothing better to do, would just sit in some of the aisles between rows and rows of books. After awhile, he had learned to love the old, antique charm of the bookstore.

So when Magnus first steps into the prison library that afternoon, needless to say it takes his breath away. The library is old, like the officer said, but it houses a plethora of different books. He shuts the door behind him as he walks around, searching to see if there’s a guard nearby.

“Hello?” He asks.

He’s met with total silence.

 _Huh_ , he huffs as he walks back towards the front of the library. He files down the first aisle of books, trailing his fingers against the spines. They’re quite dusty, and Magnus can tell they haven’t been properly cleaned in quite awhile. He stops, taking in the books before him.

It doesn’t take Magnus long to notice that there is no order to the place at all. There are fiction books paired with biographies and textbooks paired with old movie scripts. There’s no order, and it’s clear that whoever had the job last either didn’t care or didn’t have the time to put anything together neatly.

He knew the former was the most probable cause.

Inhaling a deep breath of dust and what could only be described as ‘old book smell’, Magnus starts to work on sorting the books. As he pulls titles off of their shelves, he eventually stumbles across Tolstoy’s _God Sees the Truth, But Waits_. He studies the small, old book and contemplates the similarity of his situation to Aksionov’s. Both accused of a murderous crime they didn’t commit.

Curiosity gets the better of him. It’s been a while since he’s read it. He walks over to the table and opens the book, hoping maybe there are some answers to this entire situation.

 

~~~~

 

Alec sighs as he plops down on the grey couch. He sometimes forgets how busy work at the precinct can be. Unlike the firm, there’s never a sense of down time. In some retrospect, he’s had to go through a file, sign various amounts of paperwork, and even go down to the morgue with Izzy to try and get leads on this case.

They’ve busted their asses, he’ll admit that much.

A soft meow stirs him from his thoughts as Chairman Meow hops up onto the couch. The small grey kitten climbs into his lap before curling into a ball and snuggling up against him. A warm smile spreads across his face.

“I bet you miss him too, don’t you?”  Alec asks aloud, knowing he won’t receive an answer. Alec’s smile slips a bit at the thought.

 _He misses Magnus_. It had hit him like a ton of bricks after the first day at the precinct. He hadn’t wanted to admit it, rather he wanted to make up some excuse that it was just him wanting to get back on the case, but he knows it’d be a lie.

He misses Magnus’ witty texts and how he’d always talk about how much of a hard ass Raj was when he was on duty. He misses the times he spent over at Magnus’ house getting to know him. He misses his laughter and how his smile brightens his entire face and—

He isn’t sure when his vision blurs or when the tears start to fall down his face. But the second they do, he can’t stop it. “Damn it,” he curses, bringing his hands to his face. He tries to wipe away the tears, but they just keep coming. He looks down to Chairman, whose bright green-yellow eyes stare up at Alec. He brushes his fingers across his fur.

“I made a promise, didn’t I?” He says aloud. “I promised your owner I’d save him from Edom. It’s about time I start following through with that.” With a new wave of determination washing over him, he grabs his phone before taking the cat off his lap, placing him back on the couch gently. He presses the familiar number on his phone and waits until the line picks up.

“Alec?”

Izzy’s voice rings in his ears as he smiles. He walks over to the kitchen where the Book of the White rests on the countertop. “Iz, I think I may have a lead in regards to the break in,” he states, running his hand across the smooth leather once more. “Could you come over for a bit?”

He can practically hear Izzy smile on the other side. “Be there in 10.”

 

~~~~

 

 _The Book of the White is on a whole other level of literature_ , Alec thinks. He failed to open the book itself before he took it home to analyze the contents, but now that he’s opened it, he can already tell he’s way over his head.

He’s thankful he called Izzy.

Sure enough, 10 minutes later, she knocks at the door. Wearing a smile and holding a plastic bag of food from the Chinese place down the street, she comes in. She notices Chairman pattering across the floors immediately and quirks a brow at Alec.

“You got a cat?”

Alec shrugs. “Kind of. I’m pet sitting.”

“For who?”

“A…friend,” he manages out. Izzy gives him a pointed look, knowing that his excuse is a load of bullshit. “Look, I found this book while we were searching Magnus’ place, and I’m having trouble understanding exactly what it says. So, if you wanted to, we could tackle this fine piece of literature together.”

Izzy smiles, taking out some of the Chinese and placing it on the counter. She notices the white leather bound book on the other side of where she places the food. “Is this it?” Alec nods as her hands trace lightly against the cover. “It’s beautiful.” Alec nods in agreement. “You said you found this at Magnus’ place?” Alec nods again. “Where?”

Alec sits next to Izzy on one of the bar stools, propping his chin up with one of his hands. “Interestingly enough, I found it in the kitchen.” He notices her bewildered expression. “It was disguised as a cook book.”

Izzy looks back down to the book as her curious fingers wrap around the front cover. Her eyes widen as she pushes the cover away, glancing through the book’s contents. “Oh my God…Alec…”

“What?”

“Look at this,” she points to a specific page in the book. The information surrounding it has various herbs and strange names he doesn’t recognize. But what he does note is the step by step instructions.

“Directions?”

Izzy nods. “Directions to make medicines.” She turns the page as her brows furrow. “Some of these I’ve never heard of before.” Her hand stills above the pages. “Then there are things like this…” she trails off, “poisons.”

Alec gulps. “That sounds…ominous.”

“You’ve got that right,” she agrees, continuing to flip through the pages. It’s a few more minutes of steady silence between them as Alec eats some of the Chinese while Izzy flips through the pages.

“Well I’ll tell you this much,” she starts, leaning back in her chair. “This book is serious business. It contains a plethora of information. There are directions to make different types of medicines and information regarding certain herbs and their applications.” She turns a few pages forward. “But then you have things like this, which if I remember enough from my Greek class ages ago, is information in regards to Downworlders. Dynamics, weaknesses…” She frowns. “You name it, it’s probably in here.”

Alec’s jaw drops. “Iz…that’s huge. That means…” He turns to Izzy. “ _This_ was probably what the person breaking into the apothecary was trying to find. Think of it, if they found the book, they would have the largest arsenal of medicines and poisons, as well as information on the Downworld and its members.” He meets Izzy’s gaze. “That’s _HUGE_ , Iz.”

“This is groundbreaking, Alec.” Izzy replies. “And to think, Magnus had this in his house.” She frowns. “…You do know that the bodies that have turned up in Magnus’ case did have trace amounts of poison in their systems, don’t you?”

Alec exhales deeply. “Yeah, I remember you talking to me about that.” He frowns, eyes focused on the book in concentration. “But if the book has information on all parts of the Downworld, then that means the book must be part of the Downworld in general.”

Izzy turns to Alec. “We don’t know that for sure. We’d have to ask a Downworlder to know if that’s true.” She sighs. “But the fact of the matter is, Downworlders are afraid of us, Alec. There’s no one who would be willing to talk to us about it.”

Alec stirs suddenly, his eyes widening as he sits up in his chair in realization.

“Alec? What is it?”

A hint of a smile crosses Alec’s features as he turns to Izzy. “I think I may know a Downworlder who’d be willing to tell us about the book.”

 

~~~~

 

The library already looks a million times better in the three days that Magnus was assigned to be the bookkeeper. He had spent a good while sorting through the aisles and placing the books in different piles of genres. He had to dust the shelves and some of the books before putting them back, and now the library looks a little more inhabitable.

He’s also had to do a bit of handiwork in regards to the tables and chairs there, which were all wobbly and/or rotten. Luckily he got the help of Elias with that task.

Elias had proven to be a worthwhile friend in the prison. Having someone who understood the Downworld situation and the prison lifestyle helped ground him, especially after the events with Azazel and his group. Magnus shudders at the memory.

“Wow, this actually looks like a library now.”

Magnus turns suddenly at the voice to see Elias standing in the doorway. “Elias!” He smiles, as he abandons cleaning the table to walk over to Elias. “I can’t take all the credit, you know. You helped out too.”

Elias huffs, stepping into the library. He walks over to one of the aisles of books, running his fingertips across some of the bindings. “I only helped fix a table or two. This,” he says, taking out one of the books and smiling at it, “this is all you.”

Magnus shrugs. “What can I say? I’m a bit of a bookworm.”

Elias chuckles at his joke, placing the book back on the shelf. “How are you holding up?” He asks with concern lacing his words.

Magnus’ smile fades into a more somber look as he turns back to cleaning the table. “I’m fine. My lungs don’t burn anymore, and they said I should be fine to do things like exercise again.”

Elias frowns. “And what about Azazel? Has he or his goons come to bother you yet?”

Magnus tries to swallow the sudden lump in his throat. “No…I haven’t even seen them in the yard.”

Elias opens his mouth to retort, but is interrupted when another inmate enters the room. He walks over to Magnus, asking about books and recommendations, and he points the inmate in the particular direction of the books he’s looking for. Elias presses his lips into a thin line before stepping close to Magnus.

“Just be careful…okay?” He whispers. Magnus nods, and with a kind smile, Elias turns and leaves.

 

~~~~

 

Within the next two days, the library is bustling.

Magnus isn’t sure how the word got out, or whether Elias had something to do with spreading the information about the updated library, but he’ll admit he loves the feeling of seeing the library full of people. There are those silently reading books, and others who sit towards the back, listening to the small collection of vinyl records he managed to find in the storage room.

It reminds him of the days before he was arrested, when he ran the bookstore with Ragnor. Ragnor always hated talking to the customers, so Magnus was always the one to talk to those who wanted recommendations or a particular book, not that he really minded. He enjoyed talking over classic literature with those who visited the bookstore, and on the off times it wasn’t busy, he enjoyed listening to the stories Dot would tell him about her adventures around the world.

A familiar pain surged through his chest.

_Those were the good old days._

“Hey, Bane!” One of the inmates, Holmes, speaks up, waving him over. Holmes is one of the oldest inmates in Edom, and he’s heard Holmes was originally in for embezzlement, but then was convicted of doing shady deals with other illegal parties. However, a life in Edom seemed to make the man in those stories melt away. Magnus walks over to his table, sitting down beside him. Holmes points to the book he’s reading—an old fiction novel—and points to the picture in the book.

“You see that, Bane? That’s the monster there,” he says, pointing to the scientist in the drawn picture. “Everyone always says the monster’s the one he created, but only the clever ones know the man behind the creation is the true monster.”

Magnus chuckles a bit as he nods. “You’d be right about that, Holmes,” he agrees. “Shelley did a marvelous job of painting the ‘who’s the real monster’ question throughout her story.” He offers Holmes a smile. “You have quite the eye, sir.”

Holmes laughs an old, jolly rumble. “What a flatterer!” He jokes, shoving Magnus lightly. He can’t help but smile as Holmes continues to prod about the book and its writing. _I guess there are some perks to prison,_ he thinks.

The doors to the library open again as a few more inmates file into the room. The first man is very tall, Magnus notes, and has a scruffy, grey beard that defines his features. The other inmates behind him pool into the room. They look around the room as some of them start to drift down the aisles. Magnus excuses himself from Holmes’ commentary to welcome the new faces.

“Welcome,” Magnus greets with a weak smile. “Feel free to peruse the books. We have a wide array of genres and titles, and we also have records on vinyl and—”

Magnus’ words are stopped short as some of the inmates in the aisles of books start ripping the books down from their shelves. They clatter to the floor loudly. Magnus furrows his brows, walking towards those causing the commotion. “Hey, what are you—?” He’s suddenly grabbed by the arms and slung backwards. He loses his footing and falls to the ground. “What the hell?!” He yells, looking up at the scruffy-faced older man.

The man glares at him before directing his attention to the rest of the library tenants, who look at him with fear in their eyes. “Everyone out!” He yells, and too many of them scramble out of the doors, leaving Magnus alone with the inmates who continue to trash his library.

Magnus stands from the floor. “Listen here, you can’t just come into my library and expect to—”

He’s interrupted again when the scruffy faced man pushes him into the table behind him. He clatters against it as the other inmates continue to trash the bookshelves. Magnus tries to stop them, but the scruffy-faced man keeps him down, making him watch as the library he’s been working so hard to maintain is thoroughly trashed before him.

It’s when the inmates tip over the first bookshelf that his heart truly breaks. They kick in the wood shelves and tear pages from books, and even smash some of the chairs and tables.

Magnus isn’t sure when the tears start falling down his face, but when they start, they don’t stop.

“Please, stop!” He pleads as they trash his library. “I’ve done nothing to you, so why—?”

He’s thrown to the floor before he can finish his sentence. The chaos stops and the other inmates join the scruffy-faced man at the entrance to the library.

“Why?” The leader questions back at Magnus. He chuckles a bit before replying, “Because they promised we’d show you how horrible prison can be, didn’t they?”

Magnus’ eyes go wide.

Azazel.

His shoulders slump in defeat as he sits powerless on the floor. This happened because he didn’t accept Azazel’s request. He thought after the incident in the laundry that maybe he’d be okay. _But this….this is—_

Magnus looks up and the inmates have gone, rushed out while he was lost in his thoughts. Magnus frowns before curling up into a ball, resting his forehead on his knees.

_Prison is hell indeed…_

 

~~~~

 

When the sun is up, Pandemonium is closed, Alec finds.

It takes him a good few hours at the precinct to find out information as to where Raphael might be during the day. Thanks to a few witnesses who have seen the club members leave in the early morning, he’s pointed to the Hotel DuMort.

Before he leaves the precinct, however, Izzy stops him.

“Hey, Iz,” Alec greets. “What’s up?”

Izzy’s been hard at work in the morgue, he notices, as she’s still dressed fully in her lab coat and goggles. She holds a vanilla folder in her hand. “I ran the footprints found at the apothecary at Magnus’ place,” she states, handing him the folder. “There were two sets of prints, one was the army grade boots we originally found, and then there were traces of those.”

Alec frowns. “Italian leather shoes?”

Izzy nods. “Yeah, premium grade, full Italian leather shoes,” she states. “I also asked Luke about possible witness statements, and some people had reported seeing a man in a dark suit leaving the premises before sunrise.” She shrugs. “I don’t know if that helps anything, but I thought you should know.”

“Thanks,” Alec smiles. “I’ll keep it in mind.”

Her brows furrow. “Where are you headed off to?”

“I was just about to go see that Downworlder I mentioned for information on that book,” he says, his voice dropping lower. “Since that book has such valuable information, I’m thinking he has to know something about it.”

Izzy nods to him. “Alright,” she pats him on the shoulder as he walks past her. “Be safe!”

 

~~~~

 

The Hotel DuMort is a sight.

That’s a bit of an understatement in Alec’s mind.

When Alec first heard the title, he was expecting a rather nice hotel near the center of town that’d offer a nice view of the city. Needless to say, that assumption was _way_ off.

 _The hotel isn’t even finished, damn it!_ He thinks, looking up at the building. Sure enough, construction surrounds the area, featuring ‘do not enter’ and ‘caution’ tape, forklifts, and building materials. Alec furrows his brows. Witnesses said they see people come in and out of here all the time, and though witnesses can be wrong, something in his mind tells him this is the right place.

 _It’s the perfect place for a Downworlder to hide from the law,_ Alec analyzes as he strides into the base of the Hotel DuMort. He’s surprised to find the interior starkly different from the exterior. Despite the outward appearance, the interior is filled with high-end finishes and furnishings. As he files into the main lobby, he notices the impressive chandelier hanging from the ceiling. _What the hell is this place?_

“Is there something you need, officer?” A cool tone echoes. Alec turns to see a tall man dressed in a full suit. There’s something about him that seems…stiff.

“Um, yes,” Alec starts, turning to the man. “I’m here to see Raphael Santiago.”

The man quirks a brow. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Santiago doesn’t have any appointments today. If you make an appointment—”

Alec holds up his badge and identification. “I’m here on business, sir. It’s part of an official investigation.” He admits he hates doing this, playing the ‘here for business’ card, since most people put up a front, but right now he’s pressed for time.

The man frowns. “Officers aren’t welcomed on our premises, sir, so if you must—”

“Now, now, Daniel,” another cool voice interrupts. The stiff man—Daniel—turns to the voice to reveal a shorter man dressed to the nines in a well tailored, fitted suit. “We don’t want to cause any more trouble for the officers.” He steps forward, nodding to Alec. “Mr. Lightwood.”

Alec nods. “Mr. Santiago, it’s been awhile.”

Raphael gives him a once over. “Indeed.” His frown remains prominent on his face. “How can I help you, Mr. Lightwood? Or should I say Officer Lightwood?”

“Alec is fine,” he replies. He goes to put his badge away and happens to glance down to the floor. His eyes widen slightly.

_Italian leather._

Just like the shoes Izzy reported at the apothecary. Alec presses his lips into a firm line as a serious expression crosses his face. “Mr. Santiago, I don’t mean to accuse you of anything, but could you tell me where you were five days ago between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.?”

Raphael’s eyes narrow. “I was closing up at Pandemonium before heading back here, if you must know.”

Alec takes a copy of the file out from his pocket. “Then perhaps it’s someone else who wears Italian leather shoes who trashed Magnus’ apothecary,” he says, handing the file to Raphael.

Raphael takes it in his hand and emits and aggravated sigh. “I can explain.”

“Please, do.”

Raphael looks over his shoulder before gesturing for Alec to follow him further into the DuMort. They eventually file into another room, where Raphael closes the door. The décor is just as extravagant as the lobby, but the room feels more inhabitable and homey than the other room. Alec assumes this is Raphael’s suite.

Raphael turns to Alec. “Look, it’s true that I did go over to Magnus’ place.” He crosses his arms and frowns. “After he visited me at Pandemonium, I never heard back from him, so I was concerned. I went over the other day to see him, and I found the window open and the apothecary trashed.” He meets Alec’s eyes. “He was missing when I went over, and I don’t know if—”

“Magnus isn’t there,” Alec interrupts. He sighs. “Magnus is currently in the Edom Maximum Security Penitentiary, on a count of murder against Imasu Morales.”

Raphael’s eyes widen at the revelation. “What?” He asks under his breath. He stumbles back before his legs give out. He plops onto the sofa in shock. “Edom…that’s…” He doesn’t finish the thought.

A bit of silence stands between them. “I haven’t given up on Magnus, Raphael,” Alec states, sitting on the other side of the sectional. “I became an officer to get more information on this case. Something isn’t adding up with the files, and I’m doing everything in my power to get Magnus out.”

Raphael meets his gaze with an indistinguishable look. “I’m surprised,” he states, “anyone else would have thrown in the towel the minute he was convicted.”

Alec smirks a bit. “What can I say? I’m persistent.”

A ghost of a smile crosses Raphael’s face. “So then did you come to arrest me?” He asks, another serious expression appearing once again.

“No, actually. We were looking around the house to try and figure out why the apothecary had been trashed. And well…” He looks to Raphael. “I found a book.”

“A book?”

Alec nods. “The title is ‘the Book of the White’.”

Raphael’s eyes widen again in shock. “The Book of the—?” He interrupts himself, looking around to make sure they’re alone. “You have it?”

“Yeah, we do. We know it has some information regarding the Downworld in it too. But we can’t translate everything, so I thought a Downworlder such as yourself might know.”

Raphael lets out a long exhale. “That book…that book has every detail of the Downworld since its formation. It’s been around for decades, and has a plethora of information.”

“So do you have any idea who would want something like that?” He hears Raphael chuckle.

“ _Everyone_ wants that book, Alec,” he notes. “Especially Camille.”

Alec stills. “It seems she pops up in everything related to Magnus, doesn’t she?”

Raphael nods. “She was a big part of his life.” He stops to collect his thoughts before continuing. “It’s not my place to say to what extent, but they were close when Magnus first came to the Downworld.”

“Camille’s the head of the Vampires, isn’t she?”

He nods again. “She’s a pain in the ass, if I’m to be honest.” He frowns. “She’s been in the group longer than any of us, and she’s been known to cause a lot of trouble.” He glances up at Alec. “She’s the one who made up the names ‘Vampires’ for us. She’s got this weird obsession with blood and expects everyone to follow suit.”

Alec nods, jotting down some quick notes in a notebook. “Was it different when you were the head of the group?”

“I’m guessing Magnus told you about that?”

“I overheard.”

He sighs. “I was, for awhile. Camille had dropped off the face of the earth, and the clan thought it’d be best to appoint me as leader. I got rid of any of our affiliations with blood, and banned our people from practicing whatever Camille had implemented. I wanted peace.”

“And Camille didn’t?”

“Frankly, she does whatever she wants, no matter the consequences.”

Alec nods again. “Any idea where to find her?”

Raphael chuckles. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

Alec tries to restrain the aggravation settling under his skin. Camille seems to be one of the biggest leads in Magnus’ case, and yet she’s disappeared into thin air. He decides to switch gears a bit. He reaches into his pocket, grasping the Amor necklace Izzy had given him a few weeks back.

“What about this?”

Raphael pales at the sight of the necklace. He shakes his head. “I…I can’t tell you about that. It’s—” He swallows thickly. “That’s something you’d have to talk to Magnus about. It’s not my place.”

Alec sighs as he puts the necklace away. “Very well then,” he says, standing. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Santiago.”

Raphael nods as Alec is escorted out. No matter how hard he tries, Alec can’t seem to shake the sinking feeling in his gut. Perhaps talking to Magnus will yield better results.

 

~~~~

 

It’s two days later that Alec is able to ask for an audience with Magnus. He notes the impressive structure of Edom as he walks in and is greeted by some of the other officers before being led to the visitation area. When he’s escorted to the room, the officer tells him Magnus will be in shortly.

With a sigh, Alec sits down in the chair as he waits for the officers to fetch Magnus. Alec will admit he’s antsy. He’s sweating in his suit, his legs won’t stop shaking, and his brain is running a thousand miles a minute. He hasn’t spoken with Magnus since he was taken from court, so he’s hoping Magnus is doing okay.

When the officers open the doors on the other side of the room, Alec rises despite his shaky legs. He studies the doorway as a cuffed Magnus passes through the entryway. Alec’s smile fades quickly as he watches Magnus approach.

Magnus looks absolutely _awful_ , which is something Alec thought he could never describe Magnus as. But the man is destroyed. His eyes have no life, a hollow reflection of the person he used to be. His hair isn’t styled; rather it hangs in his face and hasn’t been cut in some time. His eyes no longer have the dark kohl around them, but his left eye is replaced with a dark circling bruise.

Alec’s heart breaks as he takes in Magnus’ beaten body. There’s bruising on his neck, from hands Alec notes, and he has dried blood around the nostrils of his nose. His eyes are bloodshot from tears and he has a slight limp.

Alec just hopes that’s from getting beaten up, and not from anything else.

Magnus sits across the glass quietly as Alec sits back down. His hazel eyes study Magnus, searching for words to say.

“Magnus…”

“Hello, Alexander,” Magnus says, his voice crackling slightly.

“My god, Magnus…” Alec trails, taking in his appearance. “What happened?”

Magnus just shakes his head. “…I’m fine.”

“No you’re not,” Alec replies. Magnus looks up from his lap to see Alec’s concern painted over his face. His voice is soft and he can see the hurt dancing in his hazel eyes. “I’m sorry, Magnus, but I won’t let you sweep this under the rug.” His fingertips come up from the table to caress the glass lightly. “Don’t push me away.”

Alec desperately wishes that the glass between them would vanish. He wants to touch Magnus, wants to hold him and promise him that he’s in good hands. But he can’t, not now, and that breaks his heart.

Magnus looks up through his dark lashes. “I’ve…I’ve just had a bit of a hard time here,” he says quietly. His eyes shift back down to his lap. “Guess people can turn on you a bit too quickly in prison.”

He forces out a laugh, and the brokenness to it shatters Alec’s heart. He fights back the tears that build on his eyelids as he reaches into his briefcase for a file. He takes out the folder and takes crime scene photos into his hands. “A few days ago, Luke and I went over to your house to see if we could find any evidence for your case,” he begins. He turns the pictures around for Magnus to see.

Magnus’ eyes go wide—or as wide as they can with a black eye—as he takes in the state of his apothecary. “The room was completely trashed, and we found two sets of prints, an army-grade boot print and Italian leather shoe prints, which we found were Raphael Santiago’s.” He looks up at Magnus. “Don’t worry, I talked to Mr. Santiago and he was there after the apothecary was trashed. He was honest with me, so I simply took a statement and let him be on his way.”

Magnus breathes a sigh of relief. “He’s a good man.”

Alec nods, taking back the trashed apothecary photos and closing the file. He shifts in his seat, leaning close to the glass as much as he can. His voice lowers to a whisper. “Magnus, we found the Book of the White in your possession. Could you tell me more about it?”

He can see Magnus’ tawny skin pale a bit, much like Raphael’s reaction a couple days ago. Magnus’ eyes are wide as he looks over Alec’s face in disbelief. “Y-You found the book?” He stammers.

Alec nods.

Magnus folds over on himself, fear washing over him. “Oh god….Alec, that book is serious business.”

“I know, Magnus.” He frowns a bit. “I heard from Raphael that anyone would want control of that book. It has a wide array of recipes and plenty of information regarding the Downworld, right?” He watches as Magnus nods hesitantly. “I guess what I want to know is why do you have the book?”

Magnus’ eyes fall down to the tabletop. “As the High Warlock, I was given the book for safekeeping during my time in the Downworld. The Warlocks use the book mainly for the medicines and other potions that the book entails. But we also safeguard the information that lies within.” He swallows. “When I left the Downworld, I took the book with me. Camille…she…” He takes a breath.

“Take your time, Magnus,” Alec encourages.

He nods slowly. “Before I left the Downworld, Camille had talked about the Warlocks joining forces with the Vamps.” His brows furrow at the memory. “But the thing about Camille is you can’t trust her as far as you could throw her. So I declined. She was livid about it and I caught her trying to sneak peeks at the book, perhaps in order to get information on the other groups and how to get the upper hand on them.” He looks back to Alec. “So when I left the Downworld, I took the book with me and hid it so no one would find it.” His lips twitch up in a smile slightly. “But by the looks of it, I probably should have hid it a bit better.”

Alec chuckles a bit at his gentle joke. His somber expression returns soon after. “One last thing I wanted to know is what this necklace is,” he trails off, opening his briefcase again. After a moment, he pulls the Amor necklace out and dangles it in front of the glass.

If he thought Magnus’ expression of seeing the book was intense, it was nothing compared to the look he gave upon seeing that necklace. His eyes zone in on the ruby, which catches the light as it swings lightly in Alec’s hands. He goes to reach for it, but the glass stops him. His fingertips press against the glass gently.

“W-Where did you find that…?” He asks silently.

“It was found on Dorothea Rollins’s body when we found her,” Alec replies. Magnus sits back with an indistinguishable look on his face, sorting through the details. “Magnus, what is it?”

Magnus looks up from his seat. “You said Dot had that?” Alec nods, to which Magnus shakes his head. “No…that isn’t right. Alec, I never gave that necklace to Dot. That necklace…” He swallows the lump in his throat. “I gave that to Camille a long, long time ago. The fact that Dot had it means—”

“Camille must have been nearby,” Alec finishes. He places the necklace back into the briefcase and closes it. “Magnus, I’m going to find Camille, and we’re going to get you out of here, okay?”

A glimmer of hope flickers in Magnus’ eyes, and all Alec wants to do is take his hands in his and promise him that everything would be okay. Magnus nods with a slight smile. “Okay,” he says quietly, his eyes never leaving Alec’s.

“Alright, Bane,” an officer interrupts. Magnus turns to the officer and whatever light was in his eyes is now gone. The officer hoists him up harshly and Alec resists the urge to yell at the officer for manhandling Magnus. “Time to get you back to your cell.” He tugs a hesitant Magnus away from Alec, towards the doors.

It doesn’t stop Magnus from looking back at Alec, keeping their eyes trained on each other until he’s out of sight.

After Magnus is taken back behind the security of Edom, Alec collects his things and walks out of the prison. Upon stepping out into the open air, Alec reaches for his phone and dials Luke’s number immediately. It picks up on the second ring.

“Alec,” Luke starts, “What’s up?”

“I just got finished talking with Magnus.”

“And?”

Alec takes a deep breath before exhaling a moment later. “It’s _bad_ Luke. You should have seen him. He had bruising and blood everywhere. He barely even looked at me when he came in.” Alec takes a moment to steady his breathing and to calm his aching heart. “I asked him about the book and the necklace, and we’ve got a name,” he frowns. “Camille Belcourt.”

He can hear Luke growl lowly on the other end of the line. “That’ll be a challenge, Alec,” he notes. “Camille is a woman who hates being found.”

“I know,” he agrees, “but we can’t give up looking for her if we don’t even try. That wouldn’t be fair to Magnus, nor to any of the victims of this case.”

Luke hums in agreement. “Fine, starting tomorrow morning, our first priority will be to track down Camille Belcourt.”

Alec smirks into the phone. “Let’s close this case.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems like Camille is a pretty big player in Magnus' life, huh?
> 
>  
> 
> And with this chapter, we're all caught up! I'm currently still writing 12, and so the chapters sadly might not come out as quickly, especially after this week because uni starts back up and exams are gonna kick my ass.
> 
> Nevertheless, I'll still try to churn out the chapters when I can!
> 
> -ev
> 
> P.S. - come visit me on tumblr at losteverytouch !!! I'll try and post some excerpts of what I'm writing and little sneak peaks of what I have planned for Take the Stand!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old memories haunt Alec, and new information in the Bane case comes to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! I promise!!!!  
> But this will probably be the only chapter this week, because finals start this week, and i DESPERATELY need to pass my classes haha whoops
> 
> This chapter will focuse a lot on Alec, but not to worry, the story will shift back to Magnus soon. Also, the symbol mentioned here is the Angelic rune!
> 
> Warnings for this chapter include:  
> Graphic depictions of violence (autopsy details) and gun violence.

You know that feeling when you commit to something, and then suddenly life comes in and decides that problem has to be tackled later? Yeah, that’s what Alec feels like as he crosses under the police tape in the apartment complex in Williamsburg. He’s back in his uniform as he trods around the main living quarters of the apartment. He joins Luke, who stands in the middle of the main area looking down at the newest victim.

Alec frowns as he stands next to Luke. “Who’s our victim?”

Luke crosses his arms. “Viola Clarice,” he notes. “She was your typical happy-go-lucky type, ready to take on the world.”

“She definitely took something,” Alec retorts, he squats next to the body. She was a pretty one, he’d admit. With long blond hair that framed her pale face and she wore some old jogging clothes. “How’d she die?”

“Exsanguination,” Izzy states as she walks up to the pair of officers. In natural Izzy fashion, she wears her impossibly high heels. She glances at the victim. “She bled out through the wounds right under her clavicle,” she notes, pointing to the fresh pair of marks with bruising around them. “Time of death looks like early morning, maybe 4 or 5 a.m.”

“She was here alone?” Alec asks, looking back up at Izzy.

She nods in response. “Her boyfriend found her maybe 30 minutes later,” she states, pointing to the young man sitting in the next room with an overwhelmed expression. “The neighbors have also said that they didn’t hear anything or anyone between the time frame.” She looks to Luke. “It’s the same as before.”

Alec’s brows furrow as he stands back up, turning to Luke. “This has happened before?”

 Luke holds up a hand. “We’ve seen exanguination like this before, yes, but it was with a high-risk victim.” He looks back to Viola. “She was low-risk, which either means we have an evolution in victim pool or that we have a copycat.”

“Luke,” Alaric interrupts as he comes from one of the other rooms. “We just got word from the boyfriend,” he hands Luke a picture. “Apparently, he says that was stolen along with the murder.”

Luke’s brows furrow. “What would someone want with a painting like this?”

Alec walks over to glance at the photo. “That’s a really high-end painting, Luke.” He takes the photo from Luke’s hands. “It had been on the market at a gallery recently and I guess they happened to grab it.” He looks down at the body. “Many people bid on that painting, so it wouldn’t be surprising if someone was salty about our victim taking it home.”

Luke nods, turning back to Alaric. “Go to the gallery this painting was at and see if you can get a guest list. We can run names through our database, see if we get any possible suspects.” With a nod, Alaric excuses himself from the group.

“I’ll take Viola back to the precinct,” Izzy states, taking a clipboard and writing down a few things on the reports. “I’ll see what lies beneath all…” she gestures to the victim, “this.”

Luke nods. “Let’s hope we can get ahead of whoever did this.”

Alec turns away from the body and walks over to the bookcase, looking over its contents. “Well, she had a fine eye for good literature.”

“She always loved Robert Frost,” a timid voice speaks up. Alec turns his attention to the boyfriend, who stands stiffly in front of Alec. He fiddles with the hem of his sweater and his tortoiseshell glasses slip down the bridge of his nose slightly. “She was really big into art and literature…it’s what she studied.”

Alec nods, slightly impressed by the collections she had. He steps away from the bookshelf. “The painting that was taken, did anyone ever talk to her about it? Were there any of her friends or other people at the gallery auction who seemed…upset about her having it?”

The boyfriend shakes his head. “N-No, I—” He looks down at his shoes. “She told everyone who came through that door about the painting. She loved it, and she wanted everyone to know its symbolism.” His eyes trail to his girlfriend, who proceeds to be zipped up by Izzy and her forensics team before being carted out. He fights back a sob as she’s wheeled away. “P-Please, promise me you’ll find out who did this to her.”

Luke nods, taking a step forward and placing a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll do everything we can, sir.” With another nod, the boyfriend steps away, typing away at his cell phone. Alec walks up to Luke.

“No offense, Luke, but I thought I was specializing in Magnus’ case, this is—”

“You are,” Luke interrupts, holding up a hand to stop Alec before he can interrupt again. “You’re specializing in Magnus’ case, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting out of diving into other cases.” He frowns. “You were reinstated, Alec, which means you work every case, just like the rest of us do.”

Alec sighs deeply before nodding. “You have a point.” He looks back to the crime scene. “Should I start trying to form leads here then?”

Luke shakes his head. “No, we need to get ahead in Magnus’ case. I’ll do the dirty work here, you start trying to find leads on where to find Camille.”

Alec nods to Luke before making his way out of the apartment. As he crosses under the police tape, his phone chimes. His eyes widen at the caller and he immediately accepts, pressing the phone to his ear. “Aline!”

Aline laughs on the other side of the phone. “Well someone sounds happy to hear from me.”

“Of course,” Alec retorts, descending the stairwell of the complex. “C’mon, you know I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” she says brightly, “especially since you left me for the Brooklyn precinct, you dork.”

Alec snorts. “Dork? Real original with your nicknames there, Aline.” He hears her chuckle on the other line.

“Are you busy?”

Alec reaches the bottom of the stairs and hums in thought. “Depends. What do you need?”

“I was wondering if we could do lunch?” She asks. “I haven’t seen you in weeks, and I’m certain you have some interesting case stories to share with me.”

Alec chuckles, looking down at his boots, “In fact I do.” He looks to his watch, noticing it’s about 11 a.m. “Where did you want to meet?”

“Jade Wolf?” Aline asks. “I’m craving Chinese right now and I’d _kill_ for some awesome egg rolls.”

“You got it. Need me to pick you up?”

“Nah, I’ve got my own car. I’ll meet you there. See you then!”

“See you,” Alec says as he hangs up the phone. He pushes out of the apartment complex and shields his eyes from the morning sun. _Today is definitely going to be an interesting day,_ he thinks.

 

~~~~

 

Alec sits in the Jade Wolf mulling over the menu options when Aline slips into the booth across from him. He smiles up at her. “You’re late.”

She purses her lips. “Oh please, you’re the one who’s always early,” she jokes, taking a menu into her hands. She sighs. “If only I wasn’t on duty, then maybe I could treat myself to one of these inexpensive cocktails,” she laughs, looking back up at Alec.

Alec chuckles. “You can always come back when you’re _not_ on duty, you know.”

Aline smirks. “Really? When would that be? You know your parents love working everyone to the bone.” She smiles endearingly when Alec sputters with laughter. “How goes the Brooklyn precinct?”

Alec rolls his eyes. “You know how I used to hate Brooklyn?” Aline nods. “Still kind of hate it.” They share a laugh. Alec puts down his menu and looks to Aline. “Though the constant amount of crime in this city is horrible, I’ll admit, the precinct is great. There’s a lot of good people there.”

Aline nods as the waiter comes by and hands her a glass of water, which she gratefully accepts. He takes their orders before leaving to the kitchen. Aline watches him leave before she speaks up. “That’s good to hear, Alec. You deserve to be a part of a precinct that won’t make your life miserable. Being a lawyer already does that to you.”

“Hey,” he warns playfully, “being a lawyer also has perks.”

She shrugs as she places her menu on the table and takes a sip of her water. “Alright then, Lightwood. Tell me about your cases. You have to have a few killer ones in there.”

Alec laughs at her, nudging her foot underneath the table. “Your jokes are awful as always. But, I do indeed have a few cases that are awful. I mean, Magnus’ case is in a league of its own, as you know.” Aline nods as he continues. “I interviewed a few people who all point to this Camille girl as the center of it all, but she’s practically dropped off the face of the earth, which makes it almost impossible to track her.”

Aline rolls her eyes. “Oh yes, I remember those cases. What a pain in the ass.”

“Then, there’s this case I was just at. Exsanguination at its finest, done during the early morning hours and reports of stolen goods followed with it. Apparently according to Izzy and Luke, it’s happened once before, which either means they have some vendetta against those with fine art tastes, or they’re in it to get a fast pass on cash.”

“Ooh, that sounds juicy,” Aline states. She shakes her head. “Maryse had me assigned to a new case this past month and it’s been body after body after body.” She groans. “The overkill on the bodies is insane, Alec. I’ve never seen the morgue so full.”

Alec nods. “You mentioned severe overkill? To what extent?”

Aline is about to speak up, but their food is delivered before she can speak up. With a shared thank you to the waiter, they start to dig into their meals. Aline takes a bite of one of her egg rolls. “First off, all of them are Downworlders.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “How’d you find that out?”

Aline shrugs. “A lot of Downworlders have this ‘tell tale’ sign of what group they’re in. We’ve had some Warlocks, a couple of wolves, and an occasional vamp or Seelie pop up in the past month. All of them have severe ligature marks and strangulation wounds, according to our forensic analyst.” Her brows furrow. “It’s strange, cause there are a few bodies that don’t have the same markings as the others. Like some of them had severe burning while others had none at all.”

Alec’s concerned expression remains. “Then how’d you figure out they’re all connected? Besides the Downworlder connection I mean.”

“Besides the poison they had in their blood and the ligature marks, they all had this weird symbol carved into the back of their necks, right under the hairline.” She abandons her meal for a moment, taking out one of the napkins from its holder. She takes a pen from her uniform pocket and proceeds to draw the symbol. She pushes the napkin towards Alec.

 _It **is** a weird symbol,_ Alec thinks as he looks at it. It’s a simple design, really. It’s got this diamond pattern with two longer lines extending at the top and bending downward. “Did you run it through to see if it popped up anywhere?”

Aline nods. “We tried, but we couldn’t really find anything about it. Whatever it is, it means something to someone.”

Alec studies the symbol a bit more. “Do you think I could get the file?”

Aline quirks a brow. “Why?”

Alec looks back up at her and shrugs innocently. “Maybe getting another pair of eyes on your case may help. You know, to prevent tunnel vision and all that.”

Aline nods. “I’ll fax it to you when I get back to the precinct later, okay?” Alec nods. “But for now, I’m going to enjoy the rest of my egg rolls,” she says as she rubs her hands together in anticipation before diving back into her food.

 

~~~~

 

By the time Alec gets back to Brooklyn, he’s ready to get into his case and trying to find Camille.

But the precinct has other plans.

Alec almost screams.

 _Almost_.

He steps in the door to see Luke and his men prepping to go all out, dressed all in their uniforms and bulletproof vests. Luke glances up and nods to Alec. “Alec, suit up, we got a call. Robbery at Sterling National Bank on Church Avenue,” he states, throwing a bulletproof vest to Alec.

They suit up, and the next thing Alec knows, he’s in Luke’s Chevrolet Tahoe as they speed through towards the bank, sirens blaring.

“How many robbers?”

“The call said there were three,” Luke says, taking a sharp right turn down another road. Alec clamps his hand against the handle of the door to keep balance. “There are two entrances. Alaric and the others will cover the front. We’ll take the back.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Two against 3? Doesn’t seem like a fair fight.”

“We’ll have backup, don’t worry,” he promises as he takes another turn into a more back-alley looking place. He parks the car and they both spill out of the car, guns ready. A couple other cops pull up behind them and ready their guns. Luke gestures for them to move over towards the door. Alec nods, following suit.

“Surprise from the back end I assume?” Alec asks.

Luke nods. “We have more cover in the back. That way we can listen in and look for an opening.” Luke opens the door, Alec following suit, as they spill into the backroom of the bank. Alec can feel the tense aura immediately, and it only grows stronger as they get closer to the main lobby of the bank. Luke ducks behind one of the walls, looking carefully around the main lobby.

“All three of them are still there,” Luke whispers, “Assault rifles, standard issue. Probably got them from some hole-in-the-wall gun store.” He looks around. “About 20 hostages too, from what I can see.”

Alec stiffens. “H-Hostages?” _Who is he kidding? Of **course** there would be hostages! It’s a robbery, for god sake._ Alec tries to regulate his breathing as he presses his head back against the wall. His legs are suddenly jelly and he can’t think straight, his mind going a thousand miles a minute.

_You can’t do this, you can’t. Think about Max. This is the same situation as Max. You’ll disappoint people again._

_You can’t protect them. You can’t—_

“Alec!” Luke whispers harshly, shaking Alec from his panic. It doesn’t stop his erratic breathing however. Luke plants a hand on his shoulder. “Alec, the hostages are fine. We’re going to get everyone out.” He looks back to the robbers, who have successfully stashed as much money as they can into their bags. “They’re gonna move,” he states, readying his gun again.

Sure enough, Alec hears the heavy footsteps of three, no five people. He closes his eyes. _Six?_

They turn the corner, right into the line of sight of Luke and Alec. Luke pops up from his crouching position and fires a shot, hitting one of the robbers right in the head. A shrill scream echoes in Alec’s ears. _They have hostages with them._

Luke fires a few more shots before he ducks back down, dodging as many bullets as he can from the assault rifles. When the shots die off, Luke turns to Alec. “On three, we pop up and shoot.” Alec nods hesitantly as Luke counts down. On three, they pop up and Luke fires at the robbers, and Alec soon follows suit, taking one down effortlessly.

The other, however, still has a hostage attached at his hip, his rifle to her head. She’s blubbering and crying. “Put down your weapons, or else I’ll shoot her brains out!” He yells, earning another garbled scream from the hostage.

Alec’s eyes go wide, the gun shaking in his hands. _This is exactly like Max…_

_I can’t—_

_I can’t—_

A loud gunshot rings in his ears as the girl screams. She falls to the floor and Alec practically rips from his position, right into the line of fire to get the girl. He can hear someone yelling in the distance, but all he cares about is the hostage.

_He shot her,_

_He shot her,_

_He—!_

Alec takes the girl into his shaking hands, searching for the bullet wound that should’ve pierced her. His eyes frantically search for blood, for gunshot wounds, for anything. His hands press to her side in his panic.

_I have to stop the bleeding,_

_I have to—_

But he finds none. His eyes trail up to see the girl staring back at him with wide eyes. She’s equally as shaken, and pulls him close into a hug before she descends into maddening wails of emotion. Alec’s eyes go wide.

 _She….wasn’t shot_.

He looks to his right to see the last robber with a bullet wound through his forehead, dead on the floor. Luke walks up to him, concern riddled on his face.

“Alec—”

“Don’t,” he says suddenly. “I know…I know.”

As the other officers file in, they assess the damage of the bank and take care of the hostages. Eventually, the girl thanks Alec before joining some of her family in the main lobby of the bank. Alec remains sitting on the floor with his hands pressed against his face.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes. “I ran right into the line of fire and—”

“It’s my fault,” Luke states. “I should have told you about the hostages first. I know that you get antsy about it because of—”

“Please,” Alec interrupts, “I don’t want to talk about this now.” He meets Luke’s grim expression. “I promise you, I will soon, but…just not now.”

Luke nods, patting Alec on the shoulder lightly before he goes to join the rest of the force in damage control. Alec is left by himself amongst the carnage.

And frankly, he feels numb.

 

~~~~

 

Four days later, Alec gets a fax from Aline concerning her case. About an hour later, Izzy texts him, telling him that he and Luke needed to come to the morgue as quickly as possible. Alec sighs, turning to Luke’s office.

He pops his head in. “Hey,” he greets, “Izzy wants to see us in the morgue.”

Luke nods, standing from his desk as they make their way down. They cross the threshold of the morgue to see Izzy hard at work. Surprisingly, Dorothea—or Dot as Magnus calls her—Rollins’ body lies on the examination table as Izzy moves around her, her curious hands poking and prodding at the cadaver.

“Awfully busy I see,” Alec retorts as the step forward towards the examination table. “You said you had something to show us?”

“Yes!” Izzy replies with a little too much excitement in her voice, Alec thinks. She hands over a file to Luke, and Alec takes a sheet from its contents. “I decided to do some more digging in regards to the Bane case and…” she trails off before writing another note down on her clipboard. She nods to the files in Luke’s hands. “I found something interesting.”

Luke’s brows furrow as Alec frowns. “Possible cult symbolism?”

Izzy nods as she turns her attention back to the examination table. Alec pushes down the sick feeling in his stomach as she rolls Dot’s body slightly. It remains limp as she turns it to where the backside is more accessible. Her hands brush away some of Dot’s dark hair to show a symbol carved into her neck, just under the hairline.

“In addition to the extensive overkill and exsanguination, I found this mark engraved into the back of her neck, as well as the other 17 victims from the Bane case.”

“Including Imasu?” Izzy nods in response to Luke’s question. Luke shrugs. “So then this is another thing to add to the MO.”

“Wait a minute,” Alec interrupts. “This symbol, you said it was like a diamond?”

“Yeah,” Izzy agrees, directing their attention back to Dot’s body. Sure enough, the diamond symbol is there with two longer lines at the top extending downward. “This is the symbol. Why do you ask?”

Alec’s eyes go wide. “Iz, Aline said there have been bodies popping up in the Manhattan area with this same diamond symbol carved into the back of their necks, just under the hairline.” He looks down at the file. “Unlike here, they were all Downworlders who were part of the different subgroups, though warlocks were among most of the victims.”

Izzy’s eyes go wide. “Do you have the file?”

“Yeah, let me just—” Alec hands the rest of Dot’s file to Luke as he takes the papers from his back pocket and unfolds them. He gives them a once over before handing them to Izzy. “Aline said that they all had traces of poison in their veins too, though they couldn’t pinpoint what. I think she had mentioned something about it being handmade with raw materials? I can’t really remember.” He notices Izzy’s shocked expression as she glances over the files. “Izzy? What is it?”

“Oh my god,” she mutters under her breath, her hand coming to cover her rosy red lips. She looks back at Luke and Alec with a glimmer of fear in her eyes.

“Guys…I think we might have a serial killer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUN!!!! (couldn't resist)
> 
> So, we're getting a bit more information about what happened to Max! Specifics of it will come in due time...  
> Magnus will return in the next chapter, as well as a few other Downworld characters ;)
> 
> As always, you can come visit me at "losteverytouch" on tumblr!
> 
>  
> 
> (P.S. Alec and Aline friendships give me life tbh)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus faces his darkest day, and a newfound feeling rises up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off: Thank you guys for all your comments, kudos, and views! This fic has about 2600 views and over 100 kudos and I'm amazed that you guys are liking it thus far :)
> 
> With that in mind, buckle up, cause this chapter is a long one  
> Also preemptive tw in the beginning for some graphic violence in this chapter as well as prison violence and abuse.
> 
> Good stuff is to come, I promise! <3

Seeing Alec put a bit of wind back in his sails, if he’s to be perfectly honest.

Luke’s words of _Alec’s still fighting_ resonate in his head repeatedly. As each day passes in Edom, he replays the words in hopes that it can lift the dread surrounding his heavy heart.

It’s hard to find something to be happy about in Edom, he finds. Azazel and plenty of other inmates who are intimidated by him seem to love making his life an ever-living hell. Since the time he returned from seeing Alec, he’s had eyes on him constantly, and not once did they leave him alone. Not even in the showers.

Magnus shudders at the memory of being beaten to a pulp under the burning water. The constant bullying and pestering has landed him in the infirmary a countless number of times, so much so that he’s come to know the nurse on a first name basis.

Needless to say it hasn’t been pleasant.

When he’s not in the infirmary or constantly trying to fix his damaged library, he’s in the weight room during the free hours of the day. It’s the only way that he can safely let out his anger, frustration, sadness…everything. Not to mention that it helps him build the muscle he needs to actually stand a chance against the incessant beatings in Edom. It’s become a bit of a sanctuary.

He’s doing bench presses in the weight room when the door to the weight room slams. His blood runs cold as he tries to lift the weights off him. However, he’s met with resistance as a couple of inmates keep the bar pressed down. He grits his teeth.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to do bench presses alone, Bane?” Azazel asks, his cool voice slicing the silence between them. He walks into Magnus’ view, and he notices the cut on the side of his cheek.

“That’s a wonderful cut you’ve got there,” Magnus notes. “Guess you’re not invincible after all.”

The metal bar presses further into his sternum as Azazel looms over him. “Last time I checked, Bane, neither are you.”

Magnus smirks, sliding his hand gently across the bar. “True, but that gives me an advantage.” In a quick motion, he slides his hand across the bar, knocking off the weight at the end effectively into one of the inmates. He quickly lifts the bar and himself from the bench, swinging around to deliver a blow to the other inmate who had tried to hold him down. He pushes off the other weight and presses the bar to his side, holding it in his hand. He gives a stern glance to Azazel. “Prison does things to a man after all.”

Azazel wears a frazzled look, Magnus’ retaliation unexpected. He takes a step back. “That it does. And you know full well what the officers would think if they found a few inmates beaten with a rod like that.” A smirk pulls at the corner of his lips. “I’d imagine that poor lawyer of yours would hardly be able to cover a scandal like that up.”

Magnus frowns. “Don’t bring my defense attorney into this.”

“Oh yes, that _defense attorney_ of yours,” Azazel emphasizes. “Alexander Lightwood, the best lawyer in Manhattan couldn’t even help you.” His tone is accusatory, and Magnus’ blood boils with anger. “You seem to have quite the soft spot for him, don’t you, Bane?”

Magnus’ expression darkens. “Don’t,” he warns.

Too quickly for Magnus to process, Azazel is suddenly in his face, putting pressure on the bar around Magnus’ hands and ripping it from his grasp. He throws it off to the side with a rather loud clang as he grips Magnus’ shirt, hoisting him up slightly before banging his back against the wall, effectively knocking out the breath from Magnus’ lungs.

Azazel grins wickedly. “That attorney could feel nothing but disdain for you, Bane.” He mutters darkly. “The son of a world renowned criminal following in his father’s footsteps…” he hums, “I could just see the face he’d make when you tell him about what happened to your _dear stepfather_.”

Magnus’ hands find his shoulders, shoving him away with as much brute strength as he can muster. Azazel stumbles backwards as Magnus finds solace back on the floor. He huffs, still trying to collect his breath. He stares at Azazel. _No one_ knows of what happened to his step father.

“Who…” he huffs, “Who is telling you all of this?!” He yells with a bit more breath at Azazel, who rises back to his full heigh, chuckling darkly in response. “How could you possibly know any of that information?”

 “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Azazel asks, stepping to the side. From the darkness, another inmate steps into the room, ducking underneath the low beam of the doorway. He stands up to his full height, towering over Magnus and Azazel. His gaze is stone cold, emotionless and unattached as he steps over the unconscious inmates, approaching Magnus slowly. Upon seeing him, the man’s golden eyes light up with curiosity.

“Well, well, well,” the tall man states, his soft tone a startling difference from his cold demeanor, “this really is ironic, isn’t it…” He gives Magnus a once over, “son?”

Magnus’ eyes widen as he shakes in his shoes. He never imagined to see his father again, not since…

Well, not since his mother died.

He gulps.

“When I received word you were coming to Edom, I was a bit surprised,” he states as his eyes trail down Magnus’ figure and then back up. “I guess it runs in the family.” He steps forward, and Magnus shrinks under his gaze. “I extended my invitation to you through Azazel,” he notes, giving a stern glance to Azazel, who ducks in response. “Perhaps going through him was insufficient.” His eyes fall back to Magnus. “I’m sure you are aware of my status in this prison. Stay by me, and this,” he gestures to Magnus as an inmate kicks him in the stomach, causing him to keel over wheezing, “will stop.”

Magnus would be lying if he said he didn’t consider it for once. For weeks he had been constantly berated and abused by every inmate in Edom. But…if he were to stand by his father’s side, it would stop.

_Alec is fighting._

Luke’s voice resonates in his bones. _That’s right,_ he thinks, _if I do this…everything that Alec is fighting for would be for naught._ If he accepted his father’s request, he can practically see the gossip of the killer father-son duo overtaking Edom’s prison system. If he did that, he’d never get out.

He’d never see Alec again.

“No,” he states, “I won’t join you.”

His father frowns back at him. “You would want this to continue?” He asks, looking towards Azazel, “You have a chance to have a peaceful sentence, and yet you still refuse? Have you not thought of your future?”

“I’ve thought about it,” he huffs out, “and my life would be more painful by your side than it is now.”

Azazel looks to Magnus’ father with wide eyes. Despite the lack of emotion in his face, his father’s eyes flicker with a looming anger.

“You’re just as weak as your mother,” he spits out, his lip curling in disgust slightly. He steps back from Magnus, his gaze unwavering. “See to it that my son is never without a reminder of his decision. You will regret your choice, my son. I guarantee that.”

Without another word, he snaps his fingers as more burly inmates tread through the doors of the weight room. Magnus’ eyes widen.

 _There’s too many_.

There’s far too many for him to fight off, but he refuses to go down without a fight. So as they approach, he kicks, and punches, and does whatever he can to make an impact on these people. But they surround him.

 _They’re like vultures…_ he thinks _circling their prey._

It’s when he’s yanked back by a couple of inmates and slammed face down to the floor that he’s screaming and clawing at any attempt he can to get the upper hand. He feels the increasing pressure on his wrists and legs before Azazel’s cool voice breaks through their incessant blathering.

“Step aside.”

Sure enough, a few of the on-looking inmates part for him, and Azazel crouches next to Magnus’ side. He extends his hand out behind him, and Magnus sees a small wooden handle placed in his hand. Azazel’s hand comes back towards Magnus as a bright, shiny, silver blade flicks up from the handle.

His eyes widen, but the other inmates hold him down holding down his left arm in the most uncomfortable way so that his palm faces upward. With another smirk, Azazel’s cold voice sends shivers down his spine again.

“Stupid warlock.”

The tip of the blade is the first thing that Magnus feels against his skin, and suddenly pain blooms in his wrist. The knife carves into him, tearing open blood vessels and sending pain courses through his bones. He screams out, writhing in restrained agony as Azazel carves into him. It’s all too much, the pain, the echoing voices of the other inmates, the silent patter of his father’s footsteps. Azazel carves into his arm again at a different angle, and Magnus can’t contain it. With tears running down his face, he screams out.

“Mama!”

 

~~~~

 

The second time Alec arrives at the Hotel DuMort, Raphael is issuing orders to some of the other residents of the hotel. Once the meeting is over, Raphael leads him to the elevator, pressing the buttons to the floors above. The doors close silently.

“Issuing orders?” Alec asks. “I thought you weren’t the head of the subgroup anymore.”

“I’m not,” he says irritably. “They’re Camille’s orders.”

Alec’s eyes widen. “You got word from her?” He practically shouts.

Raphael winces before shaking his head. “She sent a message with it. Completely untraceable, as always. Trust me, if Camille wanted to be found, she’d come here herself.”

Alec frowns as the elevator doors open up and Raphael leads him into his private suite. He closes the doors behind him. “So you said you had a few more questions for me, officer?”

Alec nods. “Our forensic pathologist found something new in the autopsy regarding Imasu Morales and Dot Rollins,” Alec starts, taking out a file from his bag. He places it on the counter and opens up the file, picking up one of the pictures. “Could you tell me if you recognize this symbol at all?”

He hands the picture of the diamond shape to Raphael, who pales as soon as his eyes survey the symbol. His eyes grow wider and his stance turns rigid.

“You’ve seen this before,” Alec states.

Raphael nods hesitantly as he hands the picture back to Alec. “A few of my people have turned up with those marks on the back of their necks…under the hairline.” He takes a shaky breath. “It’s what has been getting the Downworlders anxious lately.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “So both the Manhattan and Brooklyn murders have Downworlders antsy?”

Raphael nods, studying the granite countertops. “The Brooklyn murders are more geared towards Warlocks, since Magnus is at the center of it all. But Manhattan…all of us are a target.” He shudders.

“How long have the murders taken place?”

“It’s hard to say,” he states, frowning. “I’ve seen bodies turn up since I first came to the Downworld, but never in this amount. Something about the past year must have—”

“The past _year_?” Alec interrupts, eyes blown wide. “These have been happening for a year, and you never reported it?”

Raphael’s gaze focuses on Alec with a serious expression. “I don’t mean to condemn your line of work, but many officers don’t take kindly to Downworlders,” he states. “They’d pin the blame on us. And seeing on what’s happened to Magnus, you can understand why no one would come to light about it.”

Alec breathes out, the wheels turning inside his head. “Do you know if Magnus knows anything about this symbol? Imasu also had this symbol on his body.”

Raphael shakes his head. “Magnus was secretive about a lot of things, so I’m not sure about if he knows this symbol or not.” He folds his arms across his chest. “Let me say this, though: Magnus loved the Downworlders, from every subgroup and he did what he could to protect them. I owe my life to him.”

Alec nods. “One last question: would you be willing to testify in court for him? For Magnus?”

Raphael gives a quizzical look. “But I thought the official trial was—”

“I’m going to appeal,” Alec interrupts again. “Magnus has been in Edom for far too long, and I’m tired of waiting for everyone to do something about it.”

The shock of Raphael’s expression melts away slightly. There’s a bit of silence as he ponders the decision. “For Magnus, I would,” he looks back up to Alec, “but those lawyers will rip me apart about being a Downworlder. If I did this, could I be guaranteed protection?”

Alec nods. “I’ll see if we can comprise a deal for you, Mr. Santiago,” Alec says as he slides Raphael a piece of blank paper and a pen. “As for right now, I’ll need your statement.”

After a hesitant nod from Raphael, he takes up the pen and begins writing.

 

~~~~

 

“A year, Izzy!” Alec exclaims pushing off his hands from her desk in the back of the morgue. “These murders have been going on for at least a year, and even then, Raphael says these might not be all of them! This is groundbreaking for the case!”

Isabelle fills out some files diligently. Her dark brown eyes rise from her papers and look up at Alec. “I understand you’re excited about this new evidence, Alec, honestly, but…” she looks down with a frown, “I think we should keep the serial murders on the down-low for now.”

Alec gives a quizzical look. “But Iz, this can prove that Magnus is innocent! Some of those murders occurred in Manhattan while he was on house arrest,” he notes. “Why would you want to conceal that?”

“Because it opens up another can of worms,” Luke states, stepping past Alec and handing another file to Isabelle. He turns back to Alec, “While Magnus could go free, the press will get wind of the killer. And while that can come with some benefits, there’s also a chance it could spur more rapid kills, or cause the case to go completely cold.”

“And neither scenario would be beneficial to getting closure on this case, especially if the case goes cold.” Isabelle adds. “A cold case would mean no closure for anyone, not even for Magnus.” Alec frowns. “Alec, don’t worry,” she reassures, abandoning the file on her desk and stepping towards him. “There is still enough evidence here and with your witnesses to get Magnus out of Edom. We can still prove his innocence.”

She gives a hopeful smile and a reassuring squeeze to his forearm. Alec inhales sharply before releasing it in one deep breath. “Alright,” he agrees, “I’ll hold you to that.” He looks over to Luke. “So, then what should I be doing now? Since we’re putting pause on tracking down this killer.”

Luke leans against the wall, crossing his arms. “To make sure we don’t repeat past mistakes, we need all the confirmation we can get. Your Downworlder friend expressed uncertainty about whether Magnus knew about the symbol the bodies have or not. I’d suggest you go to Edom again and solidify if he knows or not. That could be a large step forward.”

Alec nods. “To Edom then.”

“One last thing, before you go,” Luke stops Alec as he turns to leave. “Arrange the meeting in Edom as an officer. They’ll let you in and you’ll have a closed off interview room. It might be less pressure for Magnus that way.”

“Of course,” Alec agrees. And with a short goodbye to his sister, he waltzes out of the morgue.

_To Edom._

 

~~~~

 

Magnus sits in the windowless room pressing his fingertips into the bandages on his left wrist. The cuffs he wears irritate the wound every time he moves, so he’s restricted himself to keeping his hands resting on the table. Every breath in his lungs causes a new ache against his bruised ribs. He had thought that after engraving that horrid mark into his wrist that Azazel would back off, but instead he was subjected to more beatings until he was a broken pile on the floor. Magnus shudders at the memory as he absentmindedly stares into the center of the table.

The door opens suddenly, jolting Magnus from his thoughts. He looks up to see an officer filing into the room. He grows stiff.

 “Officer, I—”

The officer closes the door, turning to reveal Alec in his full glory. He’s dressed in the complete officer’s uniform, down to the shining badge of the Brooklyn Police Force on his belt. Magnus’ shoulders immediately go slack as he feels the hope and tears bubble underneath his skin.

“A-Alexander?”

Alec’s harsh look immediately softens at Magnus’ presence. “Magnus,” he breathes out, stepping towards him. Magnus stands to meet his height before being pulled into an encapsulating hug. Alec doesn’t squeeze Magnus, and he’s grateful for Alec not putting pressure on his bruised ribs. Alec buries his head in the crook of Magnus’ neck for a moment, and Magnus is sure he probably stinks of prison musk and sweat. However, Alec doesn’t pull away.

He leans his head forward into Alec’s chest, breathing in his slight musk of pine and mint, the classic scent that just makes up ‘Alec’. He sighs, all the tension in his body coursing out through his feet and just focusing on Alec and his warmth.

Alec pulls away first, and both of them think the hug ends way too soon. Magnus notices how Alec says nothing, but his eyes roam across Magnus’ face as if he’s seeing him for the first time in years. He can see the light flicker in Alec’s soft hazel eyes, but he notices a trace of something else there. _Desire?_

 _No,_ he thinks, _don’t get ahead of yourself, Bane._

Alec’s gaze filters down his figure, and it’s not long before his brows furrow in concern. He gently wraps his fingers around Magnus’, bringing them up between the two of them. “What happened here?”

Magnus wears an exhausted look. “I…I got cut,” he says simply, weakly. Magnus closes his eyes to try and ward away the feelings threatening to pour out.

Dissatisfied, Alec gestures Magnus to sit back down in the chair. He kneels in front of Magnus, staring up at him with his brilliant hazel eyes laced with worry. “Magnus, talk to me.”

Alec’s soft tone echoes through his tired bones. He opens his eyes, looking up into Alec’s eyes. His breath is caught in his throat, struggling to breathe, but not from any of his beatings. This is all Alec.

Alec feels Magnus’ hands shake lightly in his before he speaks. “M-My father…my father is in Edom, Alexander,” he says softly. “He’s…a very bad man and he…he found out I was here.” Magnus squeezes his eyes shut and his head falls forward. His breath shudders, and he can’t fight the tears. “A-Alexander…”

It’s all Alec can do not to embrace him and never let go. He just wants to take Magnus out of this place, to have him not suffer anymore. Magnus is an innocent man, an innocent man who doesn’t deserve _this_.

Alec reaches out and caresses his jaw line, his thumb brushing lightly against the coarse hairs there. “Magnus,” Alec whispers, “look at me.”

It takes a minute, but Magnus’ head soon lifts, and his dark brown eyes are now glazed with tears, a few stray ones making their way down his face. Alec wipes the tears on his cheeks away gently.

“We have something…something that could turn this case around. I just need to know if you recognize it or not.” His eyes wander across Magnus’ face again. “Do you think you could do that for me?”

The light in Magnus’ eyes returns, a sense of hope filling his bones. He nods hesitantly, but instantly regrets the action as Alec pulls away from him. He crosses to the other side of the table and sits across from him. His movements continue to be gentle and calming, something Magnus greatly appreciates at the moment.

“Izzy did more analysis on the bodies regarding your case,” he starts, opening a file, “and what we found was this symbol, carved into the back of their necks just under the hairline.” He takes out the photo and slides it towards Magnus. “Raphael recognized it, but do you? If you do, could you tell me from where?”

Magnus’ eyes trail down to the photo, and much like Raphael, he suddenly grows tense. His eyes are wide in shock. “T-This was engraved into them…?” He asks with a shaky voice.

Alec nods. “You recognize it, don’t you?”

Magnus nods slightly. “There were…murders that occurred when I was part of the Downworld, and I don’t remember much about them except they had a symbol carved on the back of their necks.” He swallows thickly. “I don’t know what it means, and I haven’t seen it in years.” He looks back up to Alec. “Alexander, is this really enough to free me?”

His desperate voice causes an ache in Alec’s heart. “There’s only one more person I need to talk to, and if they can give me something, I’ll have enough,” he states, offering a soft smile. “Magnus,” he calls out, reaching across the table to brush his fingertips against Magnus’. “I am still fighting for you. I will fight tooth and nail every day until you walk out of these gates a free man.”

Magnus’ heart leaps in his chest as Alec seems to knock the breath out of him again. His toes curl at the thought.

 _Alec is still fighting_.

Fighting tears once more, Magnus nods to Alec with a newfound hope in his heart. “I’ll hold you to that, my prince.”

 

~~~~

 

It’s the newfound hope that keeps Magnus sane in the next two days. If he thought the beatings before were bad, the strikes upon him now are a million times worse. If there’s ever a day where he isn’t in pain, he calls that a win.

The days out in the yard are his only saving grace, ironically. Despite the fact that all the inmates of Edom are out in the yard, the place is also highly supervised by guards. If there’s a fight that breaks out, they are quick to disperse of it.

And yet, the thing about Edom, Magnus finds, is that there is always an exception to their rules.

Magnus sits with Elias, looking out past the fences at the barren wilderness around them. There are some trees in the far distance, but nothing too close to instill hope. They don’t speak to each other, but just revel in the company the other. Magnus is grateful to still have him at his side.

“Hey, Bane!” A gruff voice barks out.

Magnus immediately jumps up, turning to the voice on reflex. He notices a group of inmates making their way towards him. His expression darkens.

“You can’t seem to keep your hands off me, can you?”

The scruffy faced inmate smirks. “You may be Asmodeus’ son, but if he gives the all clear to kick your ass, well…we have no right to oppose him.”

A circle of inmates forms around both Magnus and Elias. They press closer before they move forward. It’s a blur how it begins, but soon Magnus is fighting against every inmate he can. He receives punch after punch after punch but still battles through it.

After all _Alec is fighting_.

He’s caught by the collar and receives a few good blows to the face before he can rip away from the scruffy-faced inmate, giving him a sharp elbow to the face. He turns to survey the rest of the area, and his eyes catch sight of Elias, who tries to outrun some of the inmates chasing him towards a corner.  

“Stop!” He yells out, but not before a couple inmates catch Elias. Unlike Magnus, he’s stayed away from most of the heat. Magnus races towards the other inmates, fighting his way through those who get in his way. He elbows one who comes running towards him, and delivers a swift kick to another. Despite his injuries, he can’t afford to lose Elias, not like this.

A scream from Elias rings in his ears as he kicks and flails against the hold of one of the inmates. He spies a glint of silver in the other’s hands, and he sees red, running over as fast as his legs can carry him.

He runs between Elias and the knifed assailant, grabbing his hand and bending it in a painful way that makes him drop the knife. He pushes him away swiftly, knocking off his balance before delivering a few punches and dodging some other blows. After one particular attempt to hit him, the inmate opens up a weak spot. With a fire in his eyes, he balances himself with his left foot planted firmly on the ground. His body moves effortlessly, all thoughts of his wounds leaving his body as he quickly turns, raising his leg up swiftly so he can deliver a firm kick to the assailant’s head.

He can feel the blow strike hard as the man falls to the ground unconscious. He turns back towards Elias, who’s been pushed aside so the inmate can take on Magnus. He plants a firm stance as the inmate comes hurtling towards him with anger in his eyes. Magnus stays firm however, and lets the man rocket forward until he’s in the right position to deliver another flawless roundhouse.

It takes two of them to send the second inmate to the ground.

For a minute, there’s complete and utter silence.

Magnus stands over the two unconscious inmates, huffing out his exhaustion and frustration. The sound of yelling and whistles are distant in his ears. The harsh shoves against him startle him, causing Magnus to turn back on reflex and defend himself.

The motion is quickly counteracted, however, and the next thing he knows, Magnus is face down in the dirt with his hands being tugged harshly behind him. He feels the familiar grip of the cold handcuffs binding his wrists together.

The gleam of a bright white shoe against the red dirt is what stands out in Magnus’ blurry vision. His eyes trail up, wincing at the bright rays of light that encompasses him. Raziel glares down with that classic cold, emotionless gaze.

“Take him to solitary,” Raziel states plainly. “Ten days.”

 

~~~~

 

As he’s carted into solitary, the words on the doorway catch his eyes.

_You’ve taken my light, your darkness will come._

It’s almost too fitting for solitary.

Prison is dark and cold normally. There are hardly any windows within the prison itself, so you often find yourself closed in and trapped. Solitary, however, is a completely different experience. Though the hall remains the same as any of the others, there are no slit windows, no ounce of light that touches the halls or the cells. The cell doors themselves are a monster of their own.

Completely bound in thick metal, the door has nothing except a lock and a small hatch where food can be inserted. As the officers open the door, Magnus notices the space is surprisingly bigger than his cell. However, there’s nothing there for him. Not a blanket or a mattress, just the cold hard ground.

He’s practically tossed in, as he can feel the ground slam against his beaten body. The light of the fluorescent bulbs above disappear as the door groans closed, soon enveloping Magnus in darkness. Complete and utter darkness.

Magnus slides his back down against the wall until he’s collapsed onto the floor. He releases a much needed breath as he tries to contain the chaos reigning in his head.

For once…he’s alone.

Though solitary is dark and cold, it gives one thing that he’s been craving since he was sentenced. Time alone.

In solitary, there are no inmates watching him like hawks. There are no worries about whether or not he’ll be beaten, no worries of whether he will survive as they cart him to the infirmary. There’s none of that, just glorious solitude.

But with solitude comes the mind, he knows. Every thought that he’s been able to block out for the past few weeks comes rushing in all at once. The state of the Downworld, the death of his friends and those he cared about most, and Alec.

Alexander always seems to be a popular topic in his mind, Magnus finds.

The minute he met Alexander in the firm, Magnus knew that he had been in good hands. Despite the distance he put between them, Magnus could tell Alec meant well. Perhaps it started out with wanting to win the case, but as of late, he felt something…different between them.

Magnus thinks back to his second run in with the lawyer. They discussed more about Magnus’ personal life, not pressing into any extensive details, but enough to warm up a bit more to each other. He remembers how they spent too much time in the break room of the precinct, and how Magnus had managed to find a secret bottle of whisky stashed in one of the cupboards. They drank together, and sooner or later they had passed out.

He remembers their conversation hours later.

 

_“Why did you agree to meet with me?” Magnus says as he looks up to Alec, who makes his way towards the door._

_Alec look falls a bit, his brows knitting together in uncertainty. “I trust you,” he says firmly, fixing the vest of his 3 piece suit. “I don’t know why, but I do.” He straightens his back. He looks around. “What time is it? I have to get back to the firm.” He turns from Magnus towards the door._

_“Stay for a few more minutes,” Magnus interjects suddenly, a faltering smile on his face. “I make a mean cup of coffee to counteract the hangover.”_

_“No,” Alec rejects. Troubled, he licks his lips before stepping close to Magnus, holding up a finger. “If you let anyone know I slept here with you—”_

_“Relax, my reputation is on the line just as much as yours,” Magnus states, rolling his eyes a bit. “I lose all my credibility if anyone found out I let my defense attorney sleep with me.”_

_Alec’s brows furrow in confusion. “Then why’d you let me stay?”_

_Magnus’s face falters a bit. “Trust…makes you do strange things.” He inhales deeply. “Must be something in the air.”_

_Something in the air indeed_ , he thinks. In the month or so that he’s known Alec, they’ve only gotten closer and closer. The air between them is always charged with something, he feels. But he dares not to cross that line. They have a sense of professionalism to keep. Anything beyond that would be dangerous, and the case could blow up in their faces.

Magnus shakes his head. _You’re assuming Alexander wants the same,_ he reminds himself.

He takes another deep breath, letting the cold air around him fill his lungs.

 _I like Alexander…_ he thinks, _I’m so screwed._

 

~~~~

 

The charm of the Hunter’s Moon never fails to lift Alec’s aching spirit, even if the last time he was here was before Magnus’ trial. As he walks to the bar, he can feel the curious stares on his back as they analyze him in his officers’ uniform.

He slides onto a barstool as the young bartender turns to him. She has dark skin and matching dark, curly hair, and Alec immediately recognizes her as the same bartender from the last time he was here.

_Maia._

Maia frowns at his presence. “Is there something I can do for you, officer?” She asks flatly, emphasizing the word ‘officer’ slightly.

Alec gives a small smile. “Could I get a beer? IPA?”

Maia quirks a brow as she proceeds to prepare the drink. “Aren’t you on the clock?”

Alec shrugs. “Not officially, no.” Maia places the pint of beer in front of him. He takes a small sip, reveling in its bitter taste. “If you don’t mind though, I’d like to ask you a few questions.”

Maia frowns at the glass she dries. “I’ve told them before, I always check ID’s of the younger kids who come in here, and I don’t make any exceptions with minors and—”

“I’m not—” Alec interrupts. He clears his throat before starting again. “I’m not talking about that,” he states. Alec shifts in his seat a bit. “I wanted to talk you about the Downworld, specifically about the infamous ‘High Warlock of Brooklyn.’”

There’s an obvious trace of hostility in Maia’s gaze as her head snaps up to Alec. “Don’t you have enough evidence against him?” She asks, her tone bitter. “You already seem to have enough of a vendetta against us Downworlders.”

“Maia—”

“Ms. Roberts is fine,” she spits back.

Alec blinks, licking his upper lip in nervousness before nodding hesitantly. “Ms. Roberts,” his voice softens, “my name is Alec Lightwood, and I’m Magnus’ defense attorney.”

Her brows furrow. “You don’t _look_ like a defense attorney,” she accuses, her eyes focusing in on his uniform. “But who knows, they might have changed the uniform since I was last in court,” she jokes.

Alec sighs. “I was reinstated as an officer so I could try to find evidence to prove Magnus’ innocence.” He catches the subtle flicker of curiousness in Maia’s eyes. “He’s currently being held in Edom Maximum Security Penitentiary.” He notices her immediately pale at the name. “And I’m trying to piece together evidence to prove he didn’t murder anyone the night he broke house arrest.”

Maia’s tense shoulders slump. “You’re not like the other lawyers,” she states with a softer tone to her voice.

“So I’ve heard,” Alec retorts, taking another small sip of his beer.

There’s a brief silence that hangs between them as Maia finishes drying some of the glassware at the bar, the only sound between them being the other patrons and the jukebox in the back. She turns to make drinks for a few more people at the bar before switching out with another bartender. Maia circles around to the outside of the bar and gestures for him to follow. Taking his drink, he follows her to one of the booths in the back. She slides into the seat across from him.

“So?” She starts, “you want to know about Magnus?”

Alec nods. “I know he came here to see you that night, talking about the state of the Downworld. After that, he went to Pandemonium for an hour or so. However, there’s a 45 minute window from when he left there and when he was arrested in the Marble Cemetery,” Alec says. “Do you know where he could have gone in that time? Did he ever come back here?”

Maia frowns. “Before I tell you anything, I want my statement to be as an anonymous witness.”

Alec’s brows lift. “Why’s that?”

Her frown persists. “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a court trial with Downworlders, but they take any stab at us they can. The court sees us as criminals and nothing more.”

Alec taps his fingertips against the tabletop. “…what if I made you a deal?”

“A deal?”

Alec nods.

“If you can provide any information towards this case, I’ll pardon you of any misdemeanor or petty crime within the past 6 months. You’ll be considered an alliance in a criminal investigation, and I’ll do everything I can in court to make sure they don’t target you.”

Maia’s brows furrow. “That seems like a tall order there, officer,” she retorts somewhat jokingly. “A recently reinstated officer doesn’t have that kind of clearance, successful lawyer or not.”

Alec bites his lower lip and leans forward, glancing out at the bar patrons briefly. “I’m sure you’ve heard the name ‘Luke Garroway’ before, haven’t you?”

Maia’s eyes go wide. “Luke? He was one of my most trusted members,” she states, dropping her gaze to her lap. “What about him?”

“Luke has spent time with the Downworlders, and he knows them well. Turns out he’s also my supervisor.” He notes Maia’s sudden, shocked expression. “And I’m sure Luke would approve this.”

 She sighs. “If it’s Luke…I’ll testify in court. _But_ only if that deal passes.”

Alec nods. “Trust me, he wants to get Magnus out of Edom just as much as I do.”

This seems to finally relax Maia as she nods to Alec. “I felt awful,” she confesses, “Magnus was a large part of the Downworld, and he cared about all of us. When he left, there was an obvious hole in everyone’s hearts.” She picks at the skin around her nails distractedly. “A few months ago, Camille Belcourt came back from hiding and took over the vampires.”

Alec nods again. “Raphael has mentioned the situation with Camille briefly.”

Maia rolls her eyes. “Camille is infamous in the Downworld, as she practically formed the Vamp group. However, after her relationship with Magnus went south, she disappeared. We thought her reign of tyranny was over, but when she came back, she started riling up the vamps to do her dirty work and started making moves to take over the warlock subgroup. I had called Magnus in hopes that he could do something, or maybe give advice on what to do, but I didn’t think he’d break his house arrest to meet me.”

She wears a troubled look as Alec places his hand gently against her wrist. “You couldn’t have known, none of us could.”

Maia takes a deep breath and nods. “After he disappeared, I went back to my shift, but I couldn’t concentrate because I was worried about Magnus. I got off my shift at 11, and so I decided to see if I could track Magnus down.” Her dark eyes glance at the tabletop. “I thought of the various places he used to go, like restaurants and stuff, but it didn’t take me long to realize where he’d be more than anywhere else.”

“And where was that?”

Maia looks up at meets Alec’s gaze. “Right where you found him, the Marble Cemetery.”

Alec frowns. “So he was searching for Camille the entire time?”

“Is that what he told you?” She asks. When Alec nods, she chuckles slightly, though there’s a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Maybe it started out that way, since Camille is known to do some shady deals in cemeteries. But that cemetery is special.” A more pronounced look of sadness sweeps across her features. “It’s where his mother is buried.”

“ _Oh_ ,” Alec mutters quietly, his eyes dropping to the minimalistic centerpiece in the middle of the table. “I didn’t know his mother was…”

“It’s not something he really tells people,” Maia states. “The only reason I know is because of Luke. I’m sure there’s quite the file on his foster homes too.”

Alec’s brows furrow as he glances back up to Maia. “He was in foster care?”

Maia’s eyes widen. “Yeah, pretty much all his life.” She shrugs. “His mom died and his father was an infamous criminal, so there was no one else to go to. He was in foster care until he found the Downworld. That’s about all I know about it, but I’d imagine he had skipped around several homes.” She looks at Alec seriously. “He doesn’t consider that his family, officer. The Downworld is his family, and he’d never do something like this.”

Alec nods his head, processing her information. Between her and Raphael, both have said things about how much Magnus _loved_ the Downworld. And now with Maia’s information, Alec now had an alibi that could prove Magnus wasn’t anywhere near Imasu when he died. He skin buzzes with anticipation.

“When does your shift end?”

Maia looks to her watch. “It’ll be a couple more hours. I should be done by 6 today,” she states. “Why?”

“Could you come to the Brooklyn Precinct?” Alec questions. “Luke and I will be working late anyways, and if you come by, we can officially get your statement and we can talk about that deal I offered.”

She expels a long sigh, sliding out of the booth and standing up. She turns to Alec with a melancholy smile. “I guess I can,” she states, taking a few steps towards the bar. “Oh and officer?”

Alec looks up from his drink.

“Being in love suits you.”

 

~~~~

 

Alec taps his fingertips against his desk at the precinct impatiently as his eyes train on Luke’s office. Maia, Raphael, and Luke continue to discuss the deal that Alec presented as well as officially documenting their statements. His leg bounces up and down as the nerves beneath his skin surge with tension.

Maia’s words from the bar have been playing in his head since he got back to the precinct.

_Being in love suits you._

_What does she mean? Am I really in love with Magnus?_ Alec questions himself. He’s thought back to some of his interactions with Magnus, how there are moments where the air between them is thick with tension and sparked with something electric. He hadn’t ever considered it to be love.

But now here he is, unable to concentrate on anything else.

The door to Luke’s office opens up as Alec’s head snaps up. He rises from his seat to watch as Maia and Raphael stroll past him. Maia walks with a sort of confidence in her steps. She gives him a smile and a wordless nod before making her way out of the main room with Raphael. He watches them disappear down the hall.

“So what do you think?” Alec asks, turning back to Luke.

Luke wears an aggravated look. “You’re lucky I was able to cut a deal with them,” he states firmly. “If the higher ups hadn’t agreed to my request, you’d be in a lot of trouble. You can’t just create deals like that out of nowhere, Alec.”

Alec frowns down at his shoes. “I’m sorry, sir,” he apologizes. “I guess I just got ahead of myself.”

Luke crosses his arms and sighs. “What did Magnus say about the symbol?”

Alec turns back to his desk and opens the file. “He recognized it like Raphael did. He knew they’d been appearing on bodies, but knew nothing in regards to what it meant.”

There’s a bit of silence before Luke speaks up again. “How is he holding up?”

Alec tenses. “He’s…it’s bad, Luke,” he states, meeting Luke’s concerned look. “Whenever I go to see him, he’s beaten and bruised in some way, and he talked about how his father is there and—”

“His father?” Luke interjects suddenly, his voice laced with panic. “He said his father is in Edom?”

Alec nods, sensing Luke’s panic. “Luke, who is his father?”

Luke swallows thickly before meeting Alec’s eyes. “Asmodeus Bane,” he states plainly. Alec tenses. “I’m sure you’ve heard the name before, but he’s committed many, many crimes.” He balls a fist. “The man is a cold blooded, lust-driven killer, Alec. If he’s in Edom, he most likely got word of Magnus being there and—” He cuts off his sentence, rubbing his hand across his face. “How fast can you get an appeal trial up?”

Alec blinks in surprise. “Oh…um…” He looks back to his work. “I could give Lydia a call tonight, but I’d have to stop by the firm tomorrow and—”

“Do it,” Luke orders. “Because the longer Magnus is in Edom, the more Asmodeus will target him. And that man’s patience is very thin. If Magnus goes against him…” Luke takes a deep breath, “there’s a chance that Magnus may not come out of Edom alive.”

Alec’s eyes widen. _Magnus could die._ All Alec is fighting for could be over before it begins if he doesn’t act quickly. He nods to Luke.

“I’ll get right on it.”

 

~~~~

 

Alec arrives at the firm bright and early the next morning dressed in his dark cargo pants and Brooklyn PD police polo shirt. He steps into the main room and spots Jace and Clary diligently working at their stations.

Jace looks up and does a double take. “Alec!” He says brightly, rising from his seat. “Long time no see!”

Alec steps forward. “Is Lydia here?” His voice is authoritative and unintentionally harsh, but he’s not here to make conversation.

Jace’s expression falters. “Uh…yeah, she’s in her office, I can—” Alec doesn’t let him finish as he strides over to her office. He can hear Jace muttering ‘rude’ to Clary as he knocks on the door.

Lydia opens the door not a moment later and looks up to Alec in surprise. “Alec, you’re early. I was wondering when you were going to—”

“Did you call the court?” Alec interrupts. He winces inwardly when she frowns at him.

“A simple hello would be welcomed,” she snaps back before turning back into her office. Alec steps into the office and closes the door behind him with a sigh.

“I’m sorry. It’s just…we’re really pressed for time here.”

“I get it,” Lydia states flatly, sitting at her desk and typing away at her computer. She clicks a few things before turning behind her desk. She turns back around, looking back to Alec. “I understand you’ve collected enough evidence to provide a good defense this time?”

Alec nods. “Yes ma’am.”

Lydia sighs, opening the file. “I hope to see your best performance in court, Alec,” she states, her tone a bit softer. “I sent in the file last night, and I got a call this morning that they’ve accepted your appeal.”

Alec beams. “How long will it be until the trial?”

Lydia drops the file down on her desk. “They said the closest trial they could do is in ten days.”

Alec nods, looking back up at Lydia. “Ten days.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten days!  
> The next chapter is going to be the appeal trial, where we’ll see Alec back in the lawyer position doing his thing. And thanks to your feedback, I’ll try to make a collectively better trial than the first! 
> 
> (Fun fact: I wrote the scene where Magnus gets into solitary before Harry posted the supposed picture of Edom on his insta story, so the “red dirt” that Edom has is COMPLETELY coincidental whooo (that or I can just predict the future apparently))
> 
> As always you can find me on [tumblr](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/) or [twitter!](https://twitter.com/the_biconic_mb)   
> Use #TtSfic if you're livetweeting!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ten days have come and gone, and it’s court day once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ironically it's been 10 days since i've updated this fic lolol  
> so u guys had to actually wait 10 days for this trial to happen im so sorry
> 
> but i've been busy with doing renovations to my house sooooo yeah
> 
> I want to give a shoutout to wolfenmond for their feedback on the chapter 7 trial in regards on how to build a better, more believable trial. I did what I could to implement the feedback, but if there's anything i missed or anything that can be done to make this more believable, feel free to comment and tell me!

Bright bursts of light surge from the darkness, making Magnus wince in pain. His body moves on its own, being pulled from the darkness and ejected into the bright world around him. His mind is hazy, and the world just seems to blur around him.

He remembers the cool morning air dancing across his skin, and how the goosebumps suddenly form where the crisp air has kissed his neck. He shivers as his body moves forward yet again, shoved into a darker, more confined space. His eyes focus a bit more in the dark.

_A van?_

It’s all he can seem to register before he’s tugged out and shoved back into the blinding daylight. His hands are cuffed, and the metal irritates the bandages on his left wrist. He’s sure it will bleed soon.

His mind continues to wander as he lead through the halls of the building, the only sound he hears is the pattering of his face against the dark green tiled floors. The double mahogany doors open before him, and with another large breath, he steps into the large room.

 

~~~~

 

There’s a collective, yet silent gasp the moment Magnus steps into the courtroom. Alec can hear Izzy’s audible gasp within the crowd, and he can feel everyone’s stares as Magnus limps forward to take a seat next to Alec. His body looks like it’s working on autopilot, like his mind isn’t there. He seems delirious almost.

“Magnus,” Alec whispers as he sits down next to Magnus at the table. “Magnus look at me.” Magnus’ eyes drift up his frame, until his eyes train on Alec’s face.

“A-Alexander, I—” Magnus cuts himself off, his eyes venturing around the familiar courtroom he was in almost a month ago. He notices Judge Herondale and Malachi staring at him, as well as a group of people off to the leftmost side of the court. “Who are they?”

Alec looks behind his shoulder over at the group. “They’re jurors,” he states, turning back to Magnus. “They know only the bare minimum about this case, which means they’ll look at the evidence presented equally. Our best chance of getting you out of Edom is through them.” He catches the slight look of doubt in Magnus’ eyes. “Don’t you worry; I have the evidence I need. I won’t repeat my past mistakes.”

With a nod from Magnus, Alec turns back to Judge Herondale, standing from his seat and fixing his navy suit jacket. “We’re ready, your honor.”

Judge Herondale nods, picking up her gavel and beating it a few times as the room quiets. “The court is now in session,” she states plainly, opening the file. “Today’s case is the appeal of case 58374, Bane vs. Morales based on the events of October 7th. As before, any information regarding Bane’s other victims shall not be discussed until the formal trial.” She looks back up. “The jury shall be the deciding factor of this case. Are there any further questions?” When she is met with silence, she leans back slightly. “Very well, proceed with the evidence, Mr. Dieudonné.”

Malachi stands, fixing his traditional white and black suit. “I’d like to call my first witness, Detective Lucien Garroway.”

At his name, Luke walks over the stand, swears in and sits before the court. Malachi clears his throat.

“Detective Garroway,” Malachi starts, “from what was established in the last trial, you and your team were constantly watching over Mr. Bane. From what you disclosed in the first trial, you tracked Magnus down initially to a bar in Brooklyn. Did any of the patrons there recognize him?”

“A few,” Luke states. “We received a couple calls from the bar and the club that night while we were searching for him, and they helped to point us in the direction of where Mr. Bane went.”

Malachi hums. “You tracked him down to the club Pandemonium around 11 o’clock, correct?” Luke nods. “From what I understand, there was a 45 minute timeframe between when he was last seen at that club and when he was arrested in the Marble Cemetery. Was Mr. Morales’ residence close enough from his last known location to allow enough time for the murder?”

“Yes,” he agrees.

Malachi presses forward. “Then you will admit that Mr. Bane could have committed the murder in the given timeframe?”

“If further evidence did not state otherwise, yes.”

There are murmurs across the courtroom. Alec’s leg bounces in nervousness underneath the table.

“Further evidence, Detective Garroway? Are you suggesting that Magnus has not committed a crime before?”

Alec curses under his breath, which earns a concerned glance from Magnus. “He’s trying to drive Luke into a corner,” he whispers towards Magnus, who wears a disgruntled look.

Luke frowns at Malachi. “I am not suggesting anything, Mr. Dieudonné,” he starts. “According to records, Mr. Bane has been reprimanded a handful of times, mainly in regards to Downworld involvement. But the implications of such instances were never as serious as murder.”

“I’m sure his involvement with the Downworld had him do… _questionable_ things. But is the court aware that Mr. Bane is officially banned from Peru?” Malachi asks, turning to the court. Magnus slides down a bit more in his seat. “That’s right,” he states, turning to the table and gripping the bag that contained Magnus’ framed letter from the Peruvian court. “Mr. Bane himself has been banned from ever stepping foot into Peru again. Does this really seem like he is incapable of committing crimes?”

There’s a buildup of chatter that blossoms in the courtroom, causing Judge Herondale to slam down the gavel a few times to quiet the room. Alec notices some of the jurors’ wary looks to Magnus and he tries not to let it get the best of him. Though it’s a sense of collateral, it’s not the end of the case.

Luke’s frown remains prominent as he watches Malachi fish for the attention he was striving for. He clears his throat. “Like I said prior, Mr. Dieudonné, I did not suggest Mr. Bane was incapable of committing a crime. He is just as capable of committing a crime as much as anyone else in this room, sir.” He looks Malachi in the eye. “The events of Peru are also irrelevant to the current proceedings, as none of the files pertained to murder, only small crimes such as petty theft.”

Alec sighs. _Luke did his job well._

Malachi stiffens. “Are you sure of this fact? Witness statements can be—”

“I received permission to view the files from the Peruvian court themselves,” Luke interrupts, unwavering. “I was made aware of Mr. Bane’s entire criminal history after his initial arrest. With every interview, he has been admittedly honest, and his facts match correctly with the data presented in the case files.”

Malachi frowns as the case shifts out of his favor. He takes a step back, glancing to Judge Herondale. “No further questions, your honor.”

Judge Herondale nods, turning her attention to Alec. “You may now present your defense, Mr. Lightwood.”

Alec releases the breath he’s been holding for far too long, rising from his seat. The silent judgment of the initial trial’s end looms over him as he steps toward Luke on the stand. “Detective Garroway,” he says after clearing his throat, “You admit that my client could have committed the murder within the given timeframe if further evidence persisted. Did you happen to find any evidence after Mr. Bane’s arrest that suggested he had committed murder? For example, were his clothes bloody or different from when he left the house initially?”

Luke looks to Magnus for a minute. “No, Mr. Bane was still wearing the same clothes he was wearing prior to his escape. I talked with him earlier that afternoon, so I knew that he hadn’t changed since then.”

Alec nods. “In this conversation before his escape, did he seem jittery? Was there any indication that could have suggested malice towards Mr. Morales?”

Luke shakes his head. “In the extended timeframe of his house arrest, Mr. Morales was never mentioned in conversation,” he notes. “Ever since arrest he had been cautious, so it was not out of the ordinary behavior that day.”

Alec turns, pacing the floor. “How about in the days after his admittance to Edom? The reports say your men searched the house. Did you find anything of importance?”

Luke nods. “Mr. Bane has a room at his residence that houses a wide array of herbal medicines, an apothecary of sorts,” he starts, nodding towards Izzy. “Our forensic analyst knows the details of its contents. However when we visited the home after Mr. Bane’s sentence, we found the apothecary in a state of disarray.”

“Do you believe that my client could have done this himself?”

“At first glance, maybe. However, it seems clear that whomever destroyed the room used a means of forced entry. If Mr. Bane had done it himself, there would not be an indication of that.”

“Your honor,” Malachi interrupts, rising from his seat, “I’m sorry but I do not see the relevance of this information.”

Judge Herondale looks down to Luke with a pointed look. “Is this evidence pertinent, Detective?”

Luke stands firm against her gaze, which Alec admits is commendable. “A search was conducted to find if there was any indication or evidence Mr. Bane may have left in regards to the murder. The destruction of his apothecary, your Honor, is relevant on the accounts of understanding whether or not Mr. Bane had the means to execute such a crime,” he states plainly. “Based on forensic evidence, there is a likelihood that someone else was involved in the destruction of Mr. Bane’s property, and such likelihoods should be explored to determine whether or not Mr. Bane truly committed the murder or not.”

Judge Herondale frowns, but nods at his statement. “Very well. Mr. Dieudonné,” she says flatly, turning back to Malachi, “your claims are overruled. Sit.”

He sits.

Judge Herondale directions her attention back to Alec, gesturing for him to continue. Alec nods, catching Malachi’s frown in his peripheral vision.

“My client was under your watch for an extensive amount of time, Detective. Could you discuss what his temperament while under house arrest?”

“Gladly,” Luke states as he sends a soft glance to Magnus. Magnus wears an indistinguishable look between fear and awe. “Of course when anyone is put under arrest, the initial response is anger or resentment. But it only lasted a few days, as we made our resolves clear. He could still be escorted places or invite guests over as long as they were cleared by our systems.” Luke looks back to Alec. “After that initial hostility, Mr. Bane was welcoming and bright. If we needed him to answer questions, he sat down with us and answered them accordingly. He’s shown my entire team nothing but good deeds.”

“And would your force be willing to testify for this?” Alec asks, turning to the crowd. The squad officers, including Raj, rise from their seats and nod before sitting back down. Alec turns back to Luke. “So correct me if I’m wrong, but my client has been compliant and cooperative throughout the course of his house arrest?”

“That is correct, Mr. Lightwood,” Luke agrees.

Alec’s chest fills with the pride of what feels like his first victory. With a nod to Luke, he turns over his questions to Judge Herondale, slipping back into the chair next to Magnus.

Magnus watches as Luke walks away from the stand. Alec notices the slight vacancy in his eyes, the dark circle hanging underneath his lashes. The man is still exhausted, he notices, and it kills Alec to see Magnus in such a state.

Malachi clears his throat, turning Alec’s attention back to the case.

“I would like to call my next witness to the stand, Ms. Isabelle Lightwood.”

Izzy takes the stand at her cue.

“Ms. Lightwood,” Malachi begins, “the court has heard your evidence presented from our initial trial, but could you care to remind us of some of those details again?”

Izzy nods. “From diagnostics and forensics, we found that Mr. Morales sustained heavy ligature marks around the wrists, ankles, and neck, which indicate that he was bound for an extended period of time. Traces of handmade poison were detected in his system, as well as indications of torture such as various bruising to the ribcage, clavicle, and zygomatic bones on the skull.”

Malachi nods. “If I remember correctly, the gun used to kill Mr. Morales was also police grade, was it not?”

“Yes, it was.”

Malachi turns towards the jury. “During his house arrest, Mr. Bane was subjected to a continuous police presence,” he starts. “Mr. Bane was also in possession of an apothecary, of which in turn would give him a variety of drugs and herbs to create such poisons.” He turns back to Izzy, who wears a frown. “From your search in the apothecary, was there any herbs that could be considered dangerous?”

Alec feels Magnus tense beside him.

“…Yes, there were traces of Anemone nermorosa and Aquilegia genus.”

“And could you elaborate for the court their uses?”

Izzy nods. “Anemone nermorosa exhibits some toxic qualities, but can also have medicinal uses as well, such as treating severe skin and gastrointestinal irritations. Aquilegia genus, however, is more dangerous. Though it does have medicinal properties, the plant’s high toxicity makes it difficult to ensure results and can potentially cause fatal poisonings.”

Alec breathes out through his nose. _It’ll be fine…_

“No further questions your honor,” Malachi states, turning back to his table.

Judge Herondale looks to Alec. “The defense?”

He can feel Magnus’ eyes on him as he stands, walking towards the center of the court. “Ms. Lightwood,” Alec starts, directing his attention to his sister, “It is understandable that my client is in possession of a variety of ingredients because of his knowledge of medicines. Is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“And from the journals found at the apothecary, can you confirm that the journal entries about both the ingredients in stock and how they were used were strictly for medicinal purposes?”

A hint of a smile pulls at Izzy’s lips. “Yes sir, there were a variety of notebooks that contained intimate details about the medicines used within the apothecary.”

“Despite the fact that these dangerous plants were there, did your search determine that they were used in any malicious way?”

Izzy shakes her head. “No sir. The risk of each herb was written down and notes containing how to best utilize the plant for medicinal use was also documented.”

“Then you can say great care was taken to ensure that no one was put in danger based on the contents of my client’s apothecary?”

“I can assure with upmost certainty that is justifiable, yes.”

Alec’s heart leaps in his chest with pride. He turns back towards his table, picking up the file on his desk. “Based on your reports, you had done an initial search of Mr. Morales’ apartment. Your file states the indication of a footprint.” He glances up from his file. “From after the destruction of the apothecary, did you happen to find any footprints there?”

Izzy nods again. “Yes, we found two sets of prints. The first print matched a set of Italian leather shoes, which we ruled out to be Mr. Santiago’s,” her eyes catch Raphael sitting amongst the crowd. “The neighbors that Detective Garroway and the BPD interviewed concluded that Mr. Santiago was there after the initial damage however.”

Alec nods. “You said there were two sets of prints,” he restates. “What was the other set you found?”

“The other set of prints we found were army grade boots which were rather old based on the depth of the tread within the sample we collected. Measurements of the boot also suggested that the culprit was rather tall, most likely around 6 feet. After running the print through our database, the print seemed to match parts of the print we found at Mr. Morales’ residence.”

Alec can feel Malachi’s stare through the back of his head, and he only beams more. He nods to Izzy before turning back to Judge Herondale with “No further questions.” He walks back over to Magnus, who is wide eyed and his mouth a bit agape. Alec smiles at him softly.

“T-That was—”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Alec whispers, looking as Malachi stands again to call his next witness. “We’ve still got a ways to go.”

Magnus nods as they both watch Raphael rise from the audience and make his way to the stand. The minute Magnus spots him, however, his shaky hand clutches to Alec’s suit sleeve.

“ _Alexander_ ,” he whispers harshly, “What is Raphael doing here? Malachi will rip him apart…he could be charged with—”

“He’s assisting in a criminal investigation,” Alec interrupts. “We’ve made sure that he can’t be charged with anything.” Alec looks back to Magnus. “I won’t let him get incriminated by this loser,” he states, throwing a glance to Malachi. Magnus snorts a bit.

“Mr. Santiago, I understand you are a current member of the Downworld, correct?” As usual, his tone is demeaning.

Raphael sits straight in the chair, his frown plastered against his face. He wears a complete black suit and his hair has been slicked back. Considering how he’s always dressed in some sort of semi-formal attire, Alec is still impressed.

“I am, Mr. Dieudonné,” Raphael retorts in his usual flat tone.

“I understand there are four different subsections of the Downworld,” he states, turning to the courtroom, “Would you care to explain to us which group you belong to?”

Raphael looks out to the rest of the room. “I am part of the vampire group. We stand for peace and quality of life.”

Alec recognizes Malachi’s smug gaze immediately. “Is that so? Correct me if I’m wrong, but there are various files that report your subgroup has done a plethora of misdeeds. Surely the “quality of life” you stand by doesn’t mean murder, does it Mr. Santiago?”

“Objection,” Alec states calmly, rising from his seat. “Irrelevance to the case.”

Judge Herondale frowns. “Lightwood is right, Mr. Dieudonné. This man is a witness; he is not being tried for any crime at this current moment. Ask your questions, or I will turn over questions to Mr. Lightwood.”

Malachi adjusts his suit jacket again. “Very well. Mr. Santiago, Ms. Lightwood presented forensic evidence that points you to the scene of the trashed apothecary. Could you disclose your intentions as to why you were there?”

Raphael nods. “After seeing him on October 7th, I failed to hear any word from him since then. I decided to go over to visit him that morning after closing up the club I own. I found the window shattered and I rushed in to find the apothecary in disarray.” He looks to Malachi. “When I didn’t find him in the house, I left.”

“You didn’t call the police about the break in?”

“I was going to the minute I left, however it seems Detective Garroway and his team had already arrived shortly afterwards.”

Malachi nods. “Very well. How about the events of October 7th? You mentioned you had met Mr. Bane that evening during the hours he was reported missing. Can you discuss when he met you and what you talked about?”

Raphael sighs. “Magnus came to me around 10:30 that night. My bouncer Russell let him in.” He looks to Magnus. “He came and found me while I was…discussing important issues within the subgroup with one of the other Downworlders.”

“And did he seem off then?”

“He was frazzled,” Raphael notes. “He was insistent to know if one of our members had retaken authority of the subgroup, which they had. He asked about the state of the Downworld as well, which has admittedly deteriorated because of a variety of internal affairs.”

Alec sighs in relief that Raphael didn’t disclose anything in regards to the serial murders. He wonders if Luke had said anything to him about it when they were talking about deals.

“Did he mention anything in regards to Mr. Morales? Or did he hint that he was going to kill Mr. Morales later that evening?”

Raphael shakes his head. “He was concerned about his former subgroup, the warlocks. He never gave any indication that he was hiding anything or that he had ill intentions towards Mr. Morales.”

Malachi crosses his arms. “You mention repeatedly that Mr. Bane was concerned with the state of the Downworld, however he claims to have left the lifestyle years ago. Are you sure that he has… _retired_ from that line of work?” He emphasizes.

Raphael’s frown reappears. “Do you have children, Mr. Dieudonné?”

Malachi gives a frazzled look. “Yes, I do. But why—?”

“Are you not concerned about your kids safety? Do you not ask questions to their teachers, their babysitters, or any of their companions of their well-being?” Raphael asks plainly, his voice not accusatory in the slightest.

Malachi lets out a breathy chuckle. “Of course I do, they’re my children. I like to know how they’re doing.”

Raphael nods. “The Downworlders are Magnus’ children,” he states firmly, earning a wide eyed glance from Malachi. “Despite not being a part of the Downworld, he has made many friends here, and as such he wishes to know of how we are doing. He cares for us, and has done many things that we are very grateful for. He’s healed and cared for my people when they’ve needed it most, and he is always the person to look for a peaceful resolution.” Raphael takes another deep breath. “So to answer your question, Mr. Dieudonné, no, he did not give any indication of visiting Mr. Morales that night, nor does he have any current affiliation with the Downworld. He simply came to ask about if his people were doing well and went on his way.”

There’s a thick silence that hangs in the air as Raphael finishes his statement. Alec glances over at Magnus to see him fighting tears, looking gratefully at Raphael. He looks back to Malachi, who struggles to put up a confident front after Raphael’s confession. He turns to Judge Herondale and mutters to her, and soon Alec is called up once again to ask Raphael questions for the defense.

Alec clears his throat, fixing his black tie gently. “Mr. Santiago, I understand you have a long running friendship with my client. Did you meet him while he was a part of the Downworld?”

“Yes. I met him through Camille, one of our other members.”

Alec forces down the sick feeling at her name. “And from the time you had spent with him in the Downworld, could you tell the court what he was like then? Understanding his temperament within the Downworld could perhaps give insight to his current motivations.”

Raphael nods. “When he first arrived, Magnus was like most people in the Downworld, lost and in need of a family. He was taken in by the Warlocks and was raised up with them. He and I met after a scuffle between my subgroup and the wolves. He and some of the other members of the Warlocks came in to break up the fight and care for our wounds.”

“Did he ever engage in any fighting during his time in the Downworld?”

Raphael frowns a bit. “He never went looking for a fight, no. Magnus was someone who hated all the fighting. He would avoid it as much as he could, and would only engage in a fight as a last resort. Because of that, he gained a lot of respect from his subgroup, which eventually earned his ‘High Warlock’ title.”

Alec nods at the information. “And after he left the Downworld, did anything change?”

“No,” he replies, shaking his head. “He was still the same person, perhaps a bit happier having left the Downworld. Never once did he express hatred towards us.” His eyes find Magnus again. “He cared for us far more than we deserved.”

With another nod, Alec steps back. “No further questions.”

Another rush of pride surges through Alec’s bones as he sits next to Magnus with a sigh. He stills for a moment as Magnus catches his hand underneath the table. His fingers are cold, Alec notices, and they tremble slightly. He isn’t sure if it’s because of fear or something else entirely. Bravely, he gives a firm, quick squeeze to Magnus’ hands, trying to convey some form of assurance to him.

They’ll get through this.

He believes it.

 

~~~~

 

The trial drags on further as other witnesses come and go from the stand. Neighbors of Magnus’, witnesses from the bar and club, as well as some of Luke’s officers also testify. Some of the witnesses—those unfamiliar with who exactly Magnus is—seem to make a compelling argument for the prosecution. But to Alec, it’s clear that there’s a substantial amount of evidence that shows Magnus isn’t guilty.

That idea grows more when Maia takes the stand.

As Malachi begins his initial questioning, Alec peers over at Magnus once again. He’s slumped over the table, looking absolutely small and shot. Alec licks his lips in nervousness before brushing his fingers against Magnus’ knee. He sees a visible jolt from Magnus and winces, but he presses a soft touch against his knee.

_It’ll be alright, Magnus._

_I won’t let them take you again._

Magnus’ cuffed hands remain on the table, but Alec can see the slight shift in pressure on his clasped hands, and he’s unsure if it’s in comfort or uncertainty.

“Mr. Santiago stated earlier that he had a conflict with your subgroup, Ms. Roberts,” Malachi states, dragging Alec’s attention back to Maia, who sits on the stand. Her curly hair frames around her face, but she wears a fairly nice tank top and high-waisted, dark wash jeans. A gold necklace hangs around her neck. “Were you responsible for that?”

“No. One of my members lashed out against theirs, and I came to try and break up the mess. Not long after I arrived, Magnus came with his subgroup and broke up the fighting.”

Malachi nods. “So you know Mr. Bane well?”

Maia nods. “We are both Downworld leaders of our respective subgroups. I met him through one of our councils, and he’s been a dear friend since then.”

He frowns at Maia. “What did you think when you heard about this murder?”

Maia tenses as a glare passes over her features. “I felt sad,” she starts, looking at her lap. “Imasu was someone who used to be very dear to Magnus before they fell out of touch.” She looks back up to Malachi. “But I also know that Magnus could never lay a hand on him.”

“He never spoke of Mr. Morales before October 7th or the days preceding?”

“No,” she states firmly. “Once they fell out of touch, he never really spoke of Imasu. He was saddened over the breakup, but eventually moved on.”

Malachi turns away from Maia. “Ms. Roberts, could you tell the court about the events of October 7th? The files state that the two of you spoke.”

Maia nods. “We did.” She takes a deep breath before starting. “As Raphael stated prior, power is shifting within his subgroup. And that…” she pauses, sending a quick glance to Magnus, “that causes a lot of drama. Magnus has been out of the Downworld for years, but I was worried with this new change. So…I called his house that evening. I called to ask what I should do or what may be the best course of action. In that moment, I just needed advice.”

Malachi turns back to Maia, and Alec immediately notices the wicked glint in his eyes. “This was before he broke house arrest?”

She nods.

“Ms. Roberts,” he states with a sinister undertone, “that very well points to a motive for him to escape. Your call therefore gives a motive for Mr. Bane’s murder, does it not?”

Her brows furrow. “I’m not sure if you listened to the contents of my call, but not once did I say that he needed to get out of the house. I told him to call me back when he could, but I never gave him encouragement to leave.” Her dark eyes trail down him dangerously. “Lord knows he already had enough evidence to paint him as a convict.”

Alec almost snorts.

Malachi frowns, fixing his tie. “Ms. Roberts, could you disclose any information about what happened when he came to the bar?”

He changes the subject in attempts to breeze over the fact that Maia was not going to give him the upper hand. She wasn’t cowering under his gaze. Quite the opposite actually.

“I was working that night at the bar. Magnus came in sometime close to 10 p.m. and ushered me to the back to talk. We simply talked about what is changing in the Downworld.”

“Why was that important for Mr. Bane to know?”

“Because,” she prepares, sitting up straight. “The woman taking power was someone Magnus knew,” she says, looking up to Magnus. There’s a sad glance in her eye. “She was one of his ex-lovers, and a bad one at that.”

Alec can feel the entire court tense. He rubs his now sweaty palms against his slacks gently. _Releasing information about Camille was **not** part of the plan._

Malachi quirks a brow. “So then why did you tell this to Mr. Bane, if she was someone important to him?”

“She’s a handful, sir. And Magnus would know more than any of us on how to make sure she doesn’t get the Downworld in more trouble than it is.” She looks to Magnus. “His advice on the matter would have been helpful.”

“And did he give you that information?”

Maia shakes her head. “He was being chased, sir, so we didn’t talk long.”

Malachi seems to be content with the bit of information, or perhaps he’s intimidated by Maia’s unrelenting presence. Nevertheless, he turns the questioning over to Alec. Alec sends a kind smile to Maia as he approaches the stand.

“I only have one question for you, Ms. Roberts.” He notices Malachi’s curious stare. “After your contact at the bar, did you see him again anytime before his arrest in the Marble Cemetery?”

“Yes.”

Her statement makes the entire courtroom freeze. There’s a tension in the air as everyone seems to lean closer, even the jurors. Magnus seems to shake out of his haze for a minute as confusion floods his features.

Maia clears her throat. “My shift ended at 11 that night, and after he ran off on me prior, I was worried. Knowing him and how the police were after him, I wanted to make sure that he wasn’t getting into any unnecessary trouble. So I travelled around in hopes of finding him, and I eventually found him in the Marble Cemetery.”

“Do you know what time this was, Ms. Roberts?”

She nods. “It was 11:20, which was about 5 minutes after Magnus left the club.”

“And could you tell the court what he was doing there?”

Maia’s eyes meet Magnus’, sharing another saddened look. “He was at a grave, closer towards the center of the cemetery. And he just sat there, right in front of it.”

“For how long?”

“Until the colors of police sirens appeared. I left then, I didn’t want to be pulled in and accused of helping him. But Magnus made no efforts to run. I guess he understood that he’d have to get caught, and just waited.”

Maia finishes her statement as Alec closes up his questions. Maia returns back to her seat, and it’s clear that with her confession, the case has been won. Maia had just given Magnus a solid alibi for being nowhere near Imasu during the time of his murder.

The entire courtroom seemed to understand this fact too. The spectators shared wide eyed glances and the jurors each wrote down small notes as they took in the information. Malachi, however, looked the most frazzled. Eyes blown wide and hands shaking at the information presented.

Judge Herondale clears her throat expectantly at Malachi. “Mr. Dieudonné, are there anymore witnesses you care to interview?”

Malachi releases a long breath as he rises. “If permitting, I’d like to ask Mr. Bane a few questions,” he says, looking to Magnus. Judge Herondale’s stern gaze drifts to Magnus, who seems to shrink under her scrutiny.

“Mr. Bane,” she states coldly, “please take the stand.”

Magnus looks to Alec for approval. Alec nods to him as Magnus rises shakily from his chair. It’s clear to everyone that Magnus is in pain by the way he limps to the stand, how he slides into the chair on the stand painfully, wincing a bit. He doesn’t meet Malachi’s eyes, staring somewhere on the mahogany wood of the stand.

“Mr. Bane,” Malachi starts, “Ms. Roberts told us of your visit to the Marble Cemetery. From her statement, you sat in front of a particular grave. Is it of someone you knew? A past lover perhaps?”

His eyes glaze with sorrow, but he doesn’t look up from the stand. “It’s…it’s my mother’s grave,” he states, but his voice cracks and breaks from not using it above a whisper much. “She died when I was young…” he trails off, picking on the skin around his fingernails.

“Was there no other motive to your visit?”

He’s desperate to gain some sort of leverage, Alec knows. The attempt is desperate at most.

“No,” Magnus replies simply, shaking his head lightly. “I…when I was in the Downworld, I visited my mother’s grave often. But since house arrest…I haven’t been in ages. I thought…” he swallows thickly, “I thought I owed it to her to see her again, before I was put behind bars forever.”

Magnus’ tone is soft and filled with melancholic tones. Alec can see regret and sadness and every negative emotion swirling in the darkness of his eyes. He glances to the jury, who try to remain stonefaced. However a few members wear a saddened look.

They believe Magnus’ story.

_It’s turning in our favor,_ he thinks.

Malachi steps back, the sad tones affecting his usual stony demeanor. “V-Very well,” he says, turning to Judge Herondale. “I…have no further questions, your honor.”

It seems that Malachi knows he’s been defeated.

Judge Herondale nods, looking to Alec, who stands replying that he had no questions for Magnus either. Magnus is escorted off the stand, and when he returns to his seat, Judge Herondale looks to the files in front of her.

“Now that the evidence has been presented, the jury will come to their decision. There will be a short recess during this time.” She brings down the gavel, dismissing the court as the jurors disappear behind a closed door.

Alec turns to Magnus. His eyes are closed, and he looks like he’s about to cave into the exhaustion. “Magnus,” Alec says softly, his fingers caressing his shoulder lightly.

Magnus seems to perk up a bit at his voice, turning to Alec. He offers a sad smile. “Alexander...this is—” He looks over to where Luke talks to Maia and Raphael. “I didn’t want to involve them. I was…afraid.”

Alec nods. “We were able to cut a deal with the both of them. They’re assisting in this investigation, so they can’t be charged with anything.”

Magnus looks back to Alec, his tired brown eyes flicker with a bit of hope. “You continue to surprise me, Alexander.”

A smirk pulls at the corner of his lips. “In good ways?”

Magnus’ cuffed hands find Alec’s resting on the table. “Only the best ways.”

They stay like that for a bit longer before Maia and Raphael come over to Magnus. Maia gives him a much needed hug, and for the first time in awhile, Alec sees Magnus cry. He’s comforted by all of them as Maia talks about how stupid Malachi looked during the trial. Her efforts are successful in making Magnus chuckle, and Alec feels the dread in his heart lift. When Maia steps back, Alec leans forward, pressing his fingertips to the small of Magnus’ back gently.

“ _We’re almost there,_ ” he whispers into Magnus’ ear, earning a shiver from the other man.

Eventually, the jurors come back out from the room, and the spectators file back into their seats. Alec’s leg shakes nervously under the table. He _knows_ they’ve won the case, the evidence is more than enough to show that Magnus is innocent.

But in the end it’s up to the jury.

The familiar silence falls over the court.

Judge Herondale sits back in her chair, and after putting on her glasses, she turns to the jury. “Has the jury come to a decision?”

The lead juror, a young woman dressed in a knee-length, tight fitted skirt, and a white button up stands up proudly. “Yes, your honor.” Judge Herondale gestures her to continue, and she leans down to pick up a piece of paper. She turns to the courtroom, reading from the parchment. “Based on the presented evidence and the collected witness statements, the jury finds Mr. Magnus Bane _not guilty_ of the murder of Mr. Imasu Morales. Thus, the charges against him for Mr. Morales’ murder shall be revoked, and Mr. Bane will return to his arrangements of house arrest. However, strict monitoring of his whereabouts will be conducted on a 24-hour basis and he shall be accompanied by an officer of Detective Garroway’s force at all times. We have deemed that his residency in Edom Maximum Security Penitentiary has served enough for his initial violation of house arrest.”

She turns back to Judge Herondale. “We would also like to make the court aware that if this happens again, that Mr. Bane will not have another opportunity for house arrest.”

Judge Herondale nods. “Very well,” she turns to the court, “Magnus Bane, you shall return to your initial holdings tomorrow. This case is now closed.” She says this with conviction as she slams down the gavel in certainty.

 

~~~~

 

Magnus can feel the breath leave his lungs as the gavel slams. The dread in his bones fades away as he turns quickly to Alec, who looks at him with a bright smile. Another smile tugs at Magnus’ cracked lips as he lets out a breathy chuckle.

“A-Alexander!” He says brightly, happiness bubbling underneath his skin, “Y-You did, Alexander. You really did…” His shoulders relax.

Alec smiles back to him and rises from his chair. He steps into Magnus’ space and winds his hands around his waist in a soft hug. “ _We_ did it, Magnus. I’m not the only one who helped.”

Magnus rests his hands against Alec’s chest, staring up into his glowing hazel eyes. The fresh, sharp scent of pine and mint flood his nostrils and fill him with a sense of comfort. He’s missed this. _Missed Alec._

“But you’re the one who agreed to this,” he retorts—though his voice still cracks a bit— “for that, darling, I can’t thank you enough.”

Alec smiles down at him, and Magnus feels his heart tug in his chest. This man makes it very difficult to keep his sense of professionalism intact. Before anyone can notice their close proximity, Alec steps away.

“I’ll come for you tomorrow, okay?” Alec says softly, his fingers tracing Magnus’ forearm lightly.

Magnus’ breath catches in his throat yet again. He’s been freed, at least until the official trial. One more night in Edom, and then he won’t have to go back. He can go back home and can be with his friends.

_He can be with Alec…_

“ _Tomorrow._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAGNUS IS FINALLY FREE FROM EDOM (even tho he technically has one more night lololol)
> 
> This is where most (if not all) the heavy angst wraps up! There’s a bunch of fluff in the next few chapters, and then it only increases from there hueueueue
> 
> come and talk to me over on [ tumblr! ](https://losteverytouch.tumblr.com/)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And at last, he sees the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now for one of the first real fluff chapters of this fic (i did say this was going to be a slow burn amiright)  
> and it's a long one folks, longest yet at a little over 10k words. what can you do
> 
> there is a bit of light angst in the beginning of this one, since Magnus is still trying to get over the effects of Edom. He’s not going to be instantly better, especially after all that time in solitary. So a bit of forewarning on that

The second Alec leaves the courtroom, Izzy immediately approaches him.

“What was that?” She questions, her eyes flickering with curiosity.

“What do you mean?” He counters.

Izzy rolls her eyes, placing her hands against her waist. “Don’t play dumb,” she pesters, gesturing to the closed doors of the courtroom behind him. “What was that between you and Magnus?”

Alec frowns. “I congratulated him about winning his case, obviously.”

Izzy hardly seems content. “ _Uh huh,_ and so you’re gonna tell me that every defense lawyer affectionately hugs their client and makes heart eyes at him?” she questions, her eyebrows raised slightly and her rosy lips pressed in a thin line.

Alec swallows thickly. “I wasn’t making heart eyes, Iz,” he retorts, but his tone hardly seems convincing.

Izzy doesn’t seem to buy into it as she takes Alec by the forearm, dragging him off to a less populated place. She pulls him into an unused office and flicks on the lights, closing the door and turning back around to face him. “Alright, spill.”

Alec shakes his head. “Izzy, please, it’s really nothing, I promise.”

She frowns at him again. “Whatever this is, Alec, don’t think I’ll judge you for it. Because I won’t. Ever.” She steps closer to him. “I will always have your back, Alec.”

He looks down to his feet, studying his tan loafers and Izzy’s impossibly high heels. “It’s not—” his voice wavers, causing him to lift his fingers to scratch the hair across his jaw in nervousness. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just this,” he gestures to nothing in particular, “this is all really new.”

Izzy simply nods as she leads them to a couple of chairs that sit in the office space. She sits across from him, but her intimidating aura has faded away, letting her ‘supportive sister’ demeanor take over. She gives a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze to his right hand. “I understand, just start wherever is most comfortable.”

Alec has never been great at expressing his emotions. He finds it much easier to bottle it up and deal with it himself. It’s how he dealt with the rejection of his parents, the defeat of his trials…

Even the events with Max.

It’s not the healthiest habit, he knows, and Izzy has made it apparent that she is always willing to listen. In the past few years, they’ve confided in each other, and now Alec finds it easier to tell her things.

 _But not things like this_ , he thinks.

He realizes that he’s been staring into space for a few minutes. He shakes his head. “Sorry…” he apologizes, looking down at their hands. “I’ve never really been good with sorting out my feelings, so this…I don’t really understand what this is.”

Izzy’s grip presses a bit firmer and Alec takes another deep breath. “When I first met Magnus, he was…strange. I’ve met plenty of clients, and I’ve had to defend criminals before, but Magnus was different. He was charming, but…never really came off as trying to take advantage of me.” He licks his lips in nervousness. “He was so distraught over the death of Imasu Morales when I told him, and that expression…I knew he couldn’t have killed him.”

Izzy nods. “And your intuition was right.”

Alec shakes head. “But after the failure of the first trial, when he was sentenced to Edom…this path month has been…” He tries to form the words. “When he left, I _missed_ him, Izzy,” he looks up and notices her concerned, yet somewhat surprised reaction. “I missed laughing with him over his funny stories, I missed seeing him pick on Raj whenever he was on guard for the day, I just—” his left hand squeezes at his knee. “Going to see him at Edom was even more painful. He was always injured, and the glow in his eyes was gone.” A sad look crosses his features. “I just wanted to take him back home. I wanted to take him away from that.”

“And that’s perfectly reasonable, Alec,” Izzy assures.

“Is it though?” He questions back, meeting Izzy’s gaze again. “Is it perfectly reasonable for me to think that when we hug each other, that I don’t want to let go? Is it reasonable for me to say that I wanted to be with him, regardless of if I had information regarding the case or not?”

Izzy’s eyes widen in response. “Alec, do you…do you have feelings for Magnus?”

Alec frowns, rising up from his seat and shaking his hands away from Izzy. “This was stupid, I don’t know why—”

“Alec, wait,” she stops him, standing up fully. “I’m not judging you; I’m just trying to understand.” She looks into his eyes. “Alec, do you have feelings for Magnus?”

Alec closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. “I…I think so.” He opens his eyes again to see Izzy smiling up at him.

“Alec,” she says softly, taking his hands in hers once again, “thank you for telling me. Do you feel better?”

“A bit, yeah.” A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “Thanks, Iz.”

 

~~~~

 

His last night in Edom was surprisingly uneventful.

The moment he returned, Elias had flocked to him, and after telling him the verdict of the trial, he was ecstatic. Though he was sad to leave Elias here, he was glad to get out of Edom.

His body still ached from the beatings he had received a week ago. The cold, hard floor of solitary hardly helped with the endeavor.  The other inmates seemed to notice this, and left him alone. Not even Azazel approached him. It was strange, being with the other inmates in the mess hall and not being approached or beaten to a pulp. The showers were equally as peaceful. For a moment, he felt as if he could breathe.

Now, Magnus lies in his bunk in his cell, the only light shining in from the dim interior lights of the prison. He’s beyond exhausted, the trial taking its toll on him. He closes his eyes, drifting.

_This is your fault._

The memory hits suddenly, and his eyes burst open while the breath in his lungs escapes him. His hands, his legs, his whole body trembles. He squeezes his eyes shut, pressing the palms of his hands to his eyes.

_The child of a killer…an abomination!_

Another shudder hits his body at full force. The memory floods his body all at once. The feeling of seeing his mother’s coffin lowered into the ground, the feeling of being a disappointment to his stepfather. _His stepfather…_

Suddenly he feels as though he can’t breathe. He sits up, choking on nothing but the air and emotions flooding his cloudy brain. It reminds him of the water, the way that his lungs burned as he was pushed under the water.

He drags his shaking hands through his hair, desperate to get his breathing back to normal. He pulls at the long strands, hopelessly trying to will the demons away.

_I’m the only one you can count on to be here forever._

Magnus seethes as Camille’s cool tone resonates in his brain. He hadn’t seen or heard from her in _years,_ yet according to Raphael she was back in the Downworld. He runs his hands across his face, and his fingers catch the raised skin on his left wrist. He looks down.

The mark Azazel had carved into him healed as he was in solitary. It’s small, but noticeable if you looked close enough. His fingers trace over the raised skin lightly.

_You will regret your choice, my son._

Fear ripples through him again as he lies back down on the bed. His head swims with the memories, the thoughts of his past.

Perhaps this is why he was spared tonight, not because the other inmates were finished tormenting him. No, perhaps it was because they knew he’d torment himself.

 

~~~~

 

By morning roll call, Magnus has barely slept an hour. He drags himself out of the bed, groggy and exhausted. The guards approach him, telling him to pack what little belongings he had in the cell and follow them.

He obeys.

They give him back his clothes from the day he arrived, which is a full on suit. Too exhausted to do anything else, he trades the jumper just for the dress shirt and slacks. He ties the leather shoes onto his feet and stands tall. For the first time in awhile, he sees his reflection clearly in the mirror.

And truly, he looks a mess. His hair is flat and messy, his eyes look tired and dark, and not because of any eyeliner or eyeshadow. His goatee has grown a bit more and hair peeks up on the sides of his face. _It almost looks like a poorly-kept beard_ , he thinks.

“Bane,” one of the officers interrupts as he abruptly opens the door. It causes Magnus to jolt. “Your ride is here.”

Magnus blinks.

_Alec._

The familiar wave of security floods over his jittery bones. No matter what happens to him, whenever he thinks of Alec, he feels immediately calmer. There’s just something about the way Alec talks to him, how with every soft gesture and glance, that makes him at ease.

He realizes that he’s been staring into space and nods as he steps forward. They hand him a small suitcase filled with all this personal belongings and send him out into the yard. The stretch of the sidewalk is somewhat lengthy, with fencing on both sides of him. He looks to the other side, hoping to see Alec standing there.

And sure enough, Alec stands at the end of the walkway near the entryway of the gate. He’s dressed to the nines in his full BPD officer uniform, even with the signature hat. And for a moment, Magnus can’t breathe. This time, however, it’s not from the demons haunting his past. No, his breath has fled because of Alec. _Always because of Alec._

He wasn’t really able to take in Alec’s presence at the trial, but Alec is as gorgeous as Magnus remembers, with those soft hazel eyes that focus on him. His legs are shaky, and he’s on the verge of tears as he walks down the gravel pathway, as he walks towards freedom.

Alec stands in a similar position, watching as Magnus approaches him. Alec notices that Magnus still has that exhausted look on his face, but the moment he sees Alec, it seems as though all the tension in Magnus’ body melts away. Unlike the day he was sentenced, he isn’t fully dressed in the suit. He wears the dress shirt and the pinstripe slacks with the first two buttons of the shirt undone. His hair is a mess and he’s got a bit more facial hair than before, but Alec couldn’t care less.

It’s only when Magnus finally crosses the threshold of the gate that the tension that’s been building between them melts away. Alec’s smile spreads across his face, and Magnus can feel the warmth spreading through his chest.

“Hey,” Alec greets.

A breathy laugh comes from Magnus as he smiles back to Alec. “Hello darling,” Magnus says. He drops his suitcase next to him, not caring if he’s overstepping his personal boundaries or not. He wraps his arms around Alec, bringing him in for a long, endearing and gentle hug. He breathes in as the familiar scent of pine and mint invades his nose. He almost sighs in relief when Alec winds his arms around the small of Magnus’ back. They stand there for what feels like hours, just embracing in each other.

Alec is the first one to pull away, and Magnus notices the soft features of his face. “Let’s get you home.”

Magnus nods to him, picking the abandoned suitcase up from the ground. “Yes, let’s.”

 

~~~~

 

The moment that Magnus steps across the threshold of his home, he feels the tension leave his body. The familiar scent of sandalwood greets him as he walks through, and he’s surprised to see the house is relatively clean and well kept. His eyes widen.

 “I uh…” Alec stutters, “I cleaned up a bit before I came to pick you up.” Alec bites back a smile, but it still takes Magnus’ breath away. “I didn’t do much, so I know it’s probably not—”

“Alexander,” Magnus starts, turning to Alec, “don’t belittle yourself.” He gives a soft smile. “I appreciate you cleaning up for me, honestly.”

Alec nods as they take a moment of silence to just stand there in each other’s presence. Alec’s body buzzes with the feeling of knowing Magnus is back home, back to where Alec can once again reach him. Ever since he admitted his feelings to Izzy, he’s been desperate to get Magnus back. Now that he’s here…Alec doesn’t really know how to handle his feelings. He wants to reach out and hold him, to not let him go for the rest of the night.

But Magnus is tired, he can see that.

A soft meow echoes in the space of the living room and Magnus looks down to see Chairman Meow brushing up against his calves affectionately. Alec notices the broken expression that briefly crosses his face as he leans down, picking Chairman up affectionately. He brushes his face against Chairman’s soft, grey fur and nuzzles him.

“Oh Chairman…I missed you,” he whispers softly, only to get another soft meow in response. He chuckles a bit.

Alec closes the door behind him. “We found him here when we came to search your house a few weeks ago,” he starts, turning back to Magnus, who’s eyes are wide. “What?”

Magnus wears a guilty look as he places Chairman on the back of the couch. “A few weeks…I…he was all on his own and what was I doing?” He frowns. “I’m a horrible daddy…I’m so sorry Chairman,” he says weakly, his voice cracking a bit as he apologizes.

Alec steps forward, bringing his fingers up to Chairman’s face. The cat nuzzles him as he brushes through the fur with a gentle, soft smile. “He wasn’t alone, Magnus,” he says, looking up to meet his deep, brown eyes. “I took care of him while you were in Edom. He’s been well fed, and” he chuckles when Chairman meows loudly at him, “and rather spoiled if you ask me.”

His shoulders slump. He could practically _kiss_ Alec right now, just because the gesture of taking care of his cat while he was in prison was so pure hearted and kind and—

“I…thank you,” Magnus stammers out, his eyes falling to the nape of Alec’s neck. The first few buttons of his uniform shirt are undone, showing off his collarbones and just the faintest bit of chest hair. Magnus’ rips his gaze away to stare at his suddenly interesting shoes.

They stand there, close enough to feel the others warmth, for what feels like hours. It’s a few moments before Alec lifts his fingers away from Chairman to find Magnus’ touch. The pads of his fingers trail across Magnus’ left forearm, slowly and delicately down towards his wrist.

Then the touch stops, and so does Magnus’ breath.

“W-What is this?” Alec whispers out, the pad of his forefinger tracing along the raised skin of Magnus’ left wrist.

Magnus licks his lips in nervousness. “I told you before, didn’t I?” His voice wavers unintentionally. “I got cut.”

Alec frowns bringing his arm up slightly in between them. He studies the mark. “Someone cut you, you mean.” He watches as Magnus nods after a moment of uncertainty. “Who?”

Magnus shakes his head. “Another inmate…my…my father orchestrated it.”

Alec swears he sees red as his brows furrow at the mark on Magnus’ wrist. “Do you know what it means?” Magnus shakes his head. “It’s an old mark,” he states quietly, pressing his fingers a little firmer against Magnus’ skin. “I’ve seen it in old history books before. It…it represents agony,” he states sadly, his hazel eyes meeting Magnus’.

 _Well,_ Magnus thinks, _receiving it was agony in it of itself._ His eyes drop away from Alec’s. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes softly, taking his arm back from Alec, pressing the scar to his chest.

“What for? That wasn’t your fault, Magnus.”

There’s another moment of silence before Magnus speaks up again. “It’s ugly.”

Alec frowns again at his statement. Wordlessly, Alec’s fingers find Magnus’ left wrist again, pulling it towards him. For a moment, he forgets professionalism. He has been itching, yearning, _aching_ to be near Magnus again, and damn it, he’s _tired_ of waiting.

He brings Magnus’ wrist closer, and leans his head down.

…

The moment Alec’s lips press against his wrist, Magnus is sure the room gets a thousand times hotter. His first thought?

Alec’s lips are _soft_.

Alec’s lips are incredibly soft and warm against his skin, and the world blurs around him. All he can think of is Alec’s lips pressing against his skin gently, and how he doesn’t just stop at one kiss. No…Alec kisses his wrist _multiple_ times, each as equally soft and gentle as the last. It’s tender and neither of them says anything. His toes curl when he feels the tip of Alec’s tongue ghost against the skin as he presses a final kiss to the scar before pulling away slightly.

His hazel eyes shine through his dark lashes, and Magnus struggles to breathe.

He can feel the hot breaths from Alec’s mouth against the skin of his wrist, sending goosebumps flittering across his skin. His eyes fall to Alec’s lips, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to just kiss Alec right now.

The silence reigns between them, but his heartbeat rings loudly in his ears, and accelerates more as Alec leans closer to him, his face getting closer and closer. He can feel the ghost of Alec’s breath on his lips, the sudden scent of mint and pine assaulting his senses. His eyes flutter closed.

_Who could ever love an abomination like you?_

The voice rings loudly in his ears, and he opens his eyes suddenly to see someone standing behind Alec, just over his shoulder. He’s an older man, in a stuffy suit with darkened eyes and an unkempt appearance. Magnus’ eyes widen.

_No…my stepfather is dead…_

His stepfather sneers at him.

_You think he could ever love you? After what you’ve done?_

Magnus suddenly pushes Alec away, the voice booming inside his head. He rips himself away from Alec, turning away suddenly and running his shaking hands through the long strands of his hair.

To say he’s surprised would be an understatement. The minute Magnus pulls away from him, Alec’s brain races with a million thoughts. _Fuck, fuck, fuck,_ he thinks. Did he overstep his bounds? _Did Magnus not want to?_

His eyes find Magnus muttering to himself, and he catches the subtle nervous twitches of his fingers as they run through his hair.

“Magnus,” he calls out, walking back towards him. His hand wraps around his shoulder gently. “Magnus, please, what is it?”

Magnus only shakes his head. “I’m sorry…I just—I can’t,” he whispers out. He pushes out of Alec’s grasp yet again and walks into the kitchen. His throat is dry and he opens the cupboards, fumbling around for a cup. He opens a few cupboards up in haste, and is surprised to see that they’re far from empty. With furrowed brows, he turns and opens the fridge, which has also been fully stocked.

It wasn’t stocked before, which meant…

_Alec went shopping for him._

His head swims, stuck in a limbo between his affection for Alec and the agony of his mistakes.

Alec walks over to the island, his fingertips ghosting across the surface. “I can make you something to eat, if you want,” he starts, trying to ease the situation, “God knows prison food was—”

“Alec.”

Alec stops suddenly, his eyes wide. He studies Magnus, who keeps his back faced to him. In the time that Alec has known him, Magnus has never used his nickname, so hearing him say it now feels...

Well it feels rather uncomfortable, if he’s being honest.

Magnus turns to him, an exhausted expression laced with melancholy crossing his face. “I appreciate the gesture, but…I’d really like to be alone for a bit.” His dark eyes glance down to the counter. “I’m going to take a nap,” he mutters before turning away.

Alec can hear his feet patter against the hardwood before the door closes softly.

He sighs deeply, falling down onto one of the bar stools in exhaustion. _He almost kissed Magnus._ And Magnus pushed him away.

Hell, he even called him _Alec_.

He runs his fingers through his dark locks distractedly. He should probably leave Magnus alone…God knows how exhausted he was from prison.

He’s just about to take out his phone to call Izzy when Raj steps in the door. He smiles at Alec. “Alright, Lightwood,” he starts, “You’re free to go. I’ll keep watch until Luke says you’re needed again.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Huh?”

“You didn’t hear?” He questions back. “Garroway is assigning you to the special task force. So you’ll have set watches, monitoring Mr. Bane until the next officer comes to take over.”

He gives Raj a confused look. “But why? I thought—”

“Being with you, Magnus may open up a bit more about pertinent case stuff, he said,” Raj states, crossing his arms and shrugs. “And I’d think as his defense attorney you’d like to get as solid of an alibi as you can before the official murder trial for the other 17 victims.”

Alec swallows thickly. “R-Right.” He looks down to his phone, rising up slowly from the stool. “I guess I’ll give him a call then.”

His movements are odd and he stiffly starts walking over to the door.

“Lightwood?”

Alec turns, catching his police hat—thrown by Raj—on instinct. Raj smirks at him.

“Don’t forget your hat.”

 

~~~~

 

An hour later, he’s having pizza over at Izzy’s place. She has suggested cooking him something, but he insisted on picking something up. Despite how wonderful she is as a sister, her cooking was anything but.

But now Alec sits on her burgundy couch with a plate of pizza watching the fourth episode of Star Wars, thanks to Simon’s incessant pestering. The three of them watch the movie and Simon—despite seeing it so many times he can quote it—still reacts as if he’s never seen it. He catches Izzy glance at him ever so often with this content look. He smiles a bit, silently enjoying his pizza.

When the movie ends, Simon rises from his space on the couch, turning to the two Lightwood siblings. “Sorry to cut this short,” he apologizes, looking at Alec, “but I have another gig tonight, and I need to meet up with the rest of the crew to set up.” He looks down to Izzy with a smile. “I don’t know how late I’ll get back, so don’t feel like you have to wait up for me, okay?”

Izzy smiles softly at him before wrapping her fingers gently around his. “Alright, be safe.”

Simon’s smile grows a bit wider before he leans down and presses a chaste kiss to Izzy’s lips. He pulls back a moment later, and his eyes widen suddenly as he meets Alec’s gaze. “Oh, um…s-sorry! I didn’t mean to—!”

“It’s fine, Simon,” Alec reassures, shrugging a bit. “I don’t mind. She’s your girlfriend after all.”

The tension in Simon’s posture disappears with Alec’s statement and he nods. “T-Thanks, Alec.” He turns, grabbing his backpack and giving Alec and Izzy another wave as he makes his way to the door. “Good to see you!” He yells out before closing the door, leaving Alec and Izzy alone with the Star Wars main theme in the background.

Alec looks to Izzy, who watches the door for another minute. “You two are cute, you know.”

He notices her jump slightly at his comment before turning back to him. Her cheeks are a bit redder than before. Her eyes are wide in surprise.

“T-Thanks,” she says a bit awkwardly, shifting back to look at Alec. She huffs out a breathy laugh before looking up at Alec again. “Remember how much you used to hate him?”

Alec chuckles at the thought. “He was skittish and wouldn’t stop talking,” he laughs. “He’s not as skittish anymore, but there are times where I wish I had a mute button.”

She laughs at his statement, looking down at her shirt, which is actually one that she borrowed from Simon. It’s another Star Wars shirt with Luke and Leia and the rest of the main group of the fourth episode. “He just gets excited about things.”

“Things like Star Wars.”

She nods with another smile. “Yes, things like Star Wars.” Izzy soon looks up from her t-shirt after a short silence, maneuvering to a more comfortable position. “So…”

Alec’s brows furrow. “So?”

Her shoulders slump in defeat. “ _So_ , how’s your relationship going?” Alec gives another quizzical look, causing her to roll her eyes and scoff. “With Magnus? Do I have to spell it out for you?”

Alec tenses before looking away from her, suddenly finding the wrinkles and faint scars on his hands interesting. “There’s uh…nothing to tell.”

There’s a pause. “Something happened,” she states plainly.

“I didn’t say that.”

“Yeah, but you were on cloud nine yesterday, and right now you’re dodging the subject more than usual, which means _something_ must have happened.”

Alec frowns. _Damn her intuition._

“Well?”

He sighs. “I fucked up.”

Izzy frowns. “How?”

“I—” he cuts himself off as he meets Izzy’s gaze again. “I pushed my limits too much, and made Magnus uncomfortable. And now I don’t know if he wants to see me again.”

“Alec, I’m sure that Magnus would love to see you again,” she states softly, resting her hand lightly against Alec’s forearm. “In the courtroom yesterday,” she pauses, “when you two won the case, he seemed…elated.” She shifts a bit in her seat. “The way he was looking at you, anyone could see that he cares for you.”

Alec’s gaze remains at his hands. “I don’t know if that’s true anymore.”

“What do you—?”

“He called me ‘Alec’, Iz,” he interrupts, meeting her eyes once again. She seems surprised. “He has _never_ called me Alec before. It’s always been ‘Alexander’, Izzy. _Always._ ”

Her brows furrow in thought. “Did he call you Alexander anytime after you took him home?” Alec nods hesitantly. “When?”

Alec shrugs. “Right when we got home.”

“How was he? Did he seem distant?”

Alec shakes his head. “A bit, but not like at the trial. I had—I cleaned up the house a bit for him, and he was grateful for that.”

“Okay…” she trails. “Alec, there’s something you’re not telling me. If he was fine before, something must have happened.” She looks at him honestly. “I told you before, Alec, I won’t ever judge you. And whatever you say here to me, I won’t repeat a word of it.”

“Not even to Simon?”

“Not even to Simon.”

Alec sighs, running his hands across his face. He scratches at the hair on his jaw nervously before he drops his hands to his lap. They let a bit of silence settle before Alec perks up.

“I kissed him.”

“ _WHAT_?” Izzy practically exclaims, rising from the couch. “You _kissed_ him?!”

Alec tugs at her wrist, begging her to quiet down, even though they’re the only people in the apartment. She sits down next to him as he continues. “I-I didn’t kiss him like that…n-not full on _kissing_ , but…” He lets out another breath. _This is **never** easy._ “He had this scar on his wrist, from some beating he took in prison. And he thought it was ugly so I—” he licks his lips nervously, “I wanted to show him that it wasn’t.”

Izzy calms at his explanation. “Oh Alec,” she says softly, almost sighing.

Alec looks up through his dark lashes, his expression almost pitiful. “I…I didn’t want to admit it before. I thought I could stop myself but—” His eyes are glossy, trying to fight off the tears that threaten to spill over. “I _love_ him, Iz. I’m in love with Magnus Bane.”

There’s another silence that falls between them as Alec drops his gaze back to his lap. “At first, I was fine with just being his defense attorney. But somewhere along the way…I don’t know, I just… _fell._ ” His brows furrow. “You know it’s like…you have this plan for your life. A-And you know what you need to do and what your responsibilities are. And you think if you follows the rules, everything’s gonna be fine. Then somebody comes along and pushes you off that path.”

Izzy smiles down softly at him, as her fingers come up to brush through his dark hair gently. “And Magnus pushed you off that path,” she states. “I can see how much he means to you.”

Alec looks up at her expectantly.

“I do,” she reaffirms. “I see it in the way you talk about him, the way your eyes light up and have this life to them that doesn’t compare to anyone else. I see it in the way you move when you’re with him. You’re always so gentle and caring, but you’re even more so with Magnus.” She smiles yet again, soft and kind. “Alec, I’m proud of you for telling me. This, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Alec flashes a hint of a smile, the butterflies in his stomach calming slightly. “Thanks, Iz.”

Her comforting gaze falters suddenly, however, transforming into that of concern. “As happy as I am for you, Alec, you also need to know that you really have to be careful with this,” she states, gesturing to the space between them. “I’m not saying that your feelings are invalid, nor should you push them aside. But right now you’re defending this man in court. If the court finds out that you’re dating him, you could jeopardize your case. Or worse, your career.”

Alec gulps. _Fuck. He hadn’t thought of that._ He’s already become so invested in the case, in Magnus’ life, that he’s desperate to free him. But if he acts on these feelings now while he’s still defending Magnus, Izzy’s right. It would be _disastrous._

“R-Right,” Alec manages to squeak out in a voice he doesn’t quite recognize.

Izzy immediately shifts back to her comforting sister demeanor. “Alec,” she calls, her fingers hooking lightly under his scruffy jaw, lifting it up so their eyes meet. “Don’t retreat back in your shell. These feelings of yours, they’re perfectly okay. For all I care, as long as you and Magnus are in that house together where it’s just the both of you, you can do whatever you want. But I’m just saying when you’re in court, or when you have to escort him places, try not to eye-fuck him every chance you get.”

Alec sputters. “I do _not_ eye-fuck him!” Alec squeaks out, his voice a slightly higher pitch than usual. He curses inwardly when Izzy quirks a brow with a knowing smirk.

“Really?” She draws out. “I think you’ve forgotten who you’re talking to. I’ve seen you do it. And when you get caught you have this panicked expression on your face.”

She chuckles and Alec only feels his face grow hotter. He scoffs before turning away from Izzy. “Why do I even try?” He mutters, causing Izzy to cackle at his reaction.

Alec’s phone pings amongst her laughter, and suddenly the whole room goes quiet again. With a furrowed brow, Alec reaches for it, unlocking it. His eyes widen.

_From: Magnus Bane 3:13 p.m._

_I’m sorry._

_From: Magnus Bane 3:14 p.m._

_Please, I need you here._

_From: Magnus Bane 3:14 p.m._

_Come over?_

_From: Magnus Bane 3:15 p.m._

_I’m probably being ridiculously two-faced_

_I’m sorry, forget it._

Alec’s heart skips a beat as his fingers dance quickly across the keys.

“Is that Magnus?” Izzy asks.

“Uh huh,” Alec retorts halfheartedly.

_To: Magnus Bane 3:16 p.m._

_You’re not being two-faced. If you need me there I will be._

_Do you want me to pick up anything? Food?_

 

Magnus’ reply takes a couple of minutes. Alec’s legs shake in anticipation until the phone chimes in his hands.

_From: Magnus Bane 3:20 p.m._

_Ethiopian?_

Alec smiles softly at his phone before typing a reply.

_To: Magnus Bane 3:21 p.m._

_No problem. Be there soon._

 

He looks up from his phone and stands from the couch. He turns to Izzy. “I’ve got to get going.”

Izzy gives him a knowing smile, nodding gently. “Go get your man, Alec.”

 

~~~~

 

_I’m the only one you can count on to be here for you forever._

Magnus wakes up in a cold sweat. His red silk sheets cling to his skin, trapping him in his bed and suffocating his already tired bones. He’s been trying for the past few hours to get some sleep, to try and will the voices and the images of his past away, but each time the outcome is the same.

Though the memories of his stepfather have faded, the memories that linger are far from happy.

_Camille._

Magnus hasn’t heard from her in almost half a decade. Since their messy breakup 5 years ago, he’s kept his distance, and she’s refrained from walking back into his life.

But now, it seems, he can’t escape her.

She’s in some of the photos around his house; old mementos that he either forgot to throw out or never had the heart to. She’s in the tube of red lipstick that she used to keep here that somehow hasn’t made its way out of Magnus’ makeup. She’s in his memories, constantly reminding him of what a failure he was.

_You wouldn’t know what to do with love if you found it._

He squeezes his eyes shut, pressing the heel of his palms into his eyes in attempts to block her from his vision.

The moment another memory threatens to rise up, Magnus is scuffling for his phone. He unplugs it from its charger quickly, his hands pressing buttons and items on the screen until it hovers over Alec’s contact. With his thumb over the message button, he hesitates.

_Should he?_

The thought of Alec here with him certainly seems appealing. Somehow, he always seems to know how to ward away the demons in his head, how to make the house he’s trapped in feel less like a cage and more like an actual home. There’s something about the way Alec acts, how he just _is_ that makes Magnus feel at peace.

_Fuck it._

His fingers press the message button, sending a few texts to Alec. But his anxiousness comes back in the form of Camille’s voice, pestering him that what he’s doing is futile, that he shouldn’t hope as much as he is. He types an apology for bothering Alec a moment later as he sighs under his sweaty silk sheets yet again.

His phone vibrates. He glances at the screen and his eyes widen.

_Alec is coming back._

_Alec is coming home._

He’d most likely come within the hour, which gives Magnus enough time to peel himself out of the suffocating, sweaty sheets and take a quick shower. He sighs as the hot water patters against his aching and tired bones. He winds his hands through his greasy hair, slicking it up before reaching for his sandalwood shampoo. He lathers it gently, his fingertips pressing into his scalp. The touch is soft and gentle.

 _Probably not as soft as Alec’s would be,_ he thinks.

His body suddenly freezes at the thought. No…he couldn’t think of Alec like that. He couldn’t imagine Alec in here with him, winding his hands through his hair and—

Magnus groans to himself. He _can’t_ think this way. Alec is his defense attorney, damn it. They have to keep up their professionalism.

_Don’t they?_

His mind continues to spin, even after he exits the shower. He turns to his dresser and opts for a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. He’s still so tired, and the effort it takes to put on the jewelry, dramatic clothes, and makeup seems like too much for the occasion. Alec has seen him at his worst. He wouldn’t turn away because of his fashion choices.

His eyes catch the photos on top of the dresser, reminding him of the life he had before his house arrest. The voices and memories still nag at him, and he feels like he’s being pulled in two directions at the same time. His memories of Alec lift him up, but the past only brings him crashing down.

The doorbell rings suddenly, stirring Magnus out from his thoughts. He looks to the clock on the walls only to see that he’s spent far too long in his own head.

He turns, opening the door from his bedroom as he pads down the hall. The doorbell rings a second time and it only takes a few seconds for Magnus to open the door to reveal Alec’s tall figure standing in the doorway. Needless to say his breath has been taken away yet again.

Unlike Magnus’ sweats, Alec is dressed quite nicely. He’s not in a suit or dress shirt like he would be if he was coming over to do business, nor does he wear anything associating with the BPD. Instead, he wears a pale pink button up shirt with the first couple of buttons undone. Magnus’ eyes travel lower, roaming over his dark wash jeans and his brown leather shoes. He tops the outfit off with a cream colored, short trench coat to fight off the cool, late November air.

As Magnus opens the door, Alec’s hazel eyes drift up to him, bright and brimming with hope as usual. He gives a small smile to Magnus, lifting up the takeout in his hands. “I come bearing gifts,” he jokes, earning a small chuckle from Magnus.

He steps away from the door, letting Alec in before closing the door. “I didn’t realize it started raining,” he states quietly, locking the door once again. “I’m sorry you had to stand out in the cold rain for awhile.”

Alec walks to the kitchen, placing down the food and shrugging off his jacket. It’s here that Magnus notices his shirt is short sleeved and _extremely_ compliments his arms.

_Good lord, those biceps._

Magnus swallows thickly.

“It’s fine,” Alec states, interrupting Magnus from his thoughts, “I wasn’t standing outside long anyways. And trust me, I’d rather stand in the cold rain than listen to Raj complain about it.”

Magnus lets out a laugh. “I guess he’s on patrol now?”

“Right outside, at least for the next hour. Then I technically have another watch.”

Magnus looks over his shoulder back at the door before stepping into the kitchen with Alec. Though they joke, there is still a sense of brokenness and vulnerability to the way Alec approaches him. Magnus is probably at fault for that.

“I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I just kind of got a full spread,” Alec states, opening a few of the containers. “Do you like tibs?”

Magnus nods as Alec grabs a couple of plates, dishing out different items that he brought over. Soon, they find themselves on the couch sipping on some vintage wine from Magnus’ wine rack while eating at their meal. It initially starts silent, but Alec soon speaks up, diving into how he had spent the rest of the day with Izzy and Simon. Magnus chuckles as Alec starts ranting about Star Wars and how “No matter how many times I go over, we always end up watching it somehow.”

Magnus chuckles at that. “Maybe he’s just hoping that you’ll come to the dark side,” he says in between bites.

The comment earns a glare from Alec. “No. Not you too. I refuse to accept you making jokes about this. I’ve had to endure this for the _two years_ they’ve been dating.”

“Do you think they’ve dressed up and gone to a showing?” Magnus jokes. He laughs again when Alec draws in a long, aggravated sigh.

“ _Magnus,_ ” he groans.

“Well?”

Alec frowns, looking back to his plate and taking a bite of some of the tibs. “They’ve done it every Halloween since they met. It’s practically their tradition,” he states flatly.

Magnus abandons his plate of food on the coffee table as he laughs. His sides begin to ache and he honestly can’t remember the last time he laughed so much with someone since his house arrest. Gone is the cold, tense atmosphere and instead it’s been replaced with the warm comfort that can simply be _Alec._

And honestly? Magnus never wants it to end.  

And for awhile, it doesn’t. They laugh and share stories about their friends and things that they’ve encountered. Magnus talks about his travels with Ragnor, and he notices Alec just sitting and listening to him with a soft smile plastered across his face. Soon their food is gone, and the sun has set, letting the dark of the night take over. The rain still patters out the window, but the low lighting in Magnus’ living room keeps the cold away.

It’s only when Magnus leans back against the armrest of the couch that he feels the familiar chill run up his spine.

_The fear of being alone has always been your Achilles’ heel._

Magnus draws in an uneven breath. He wishes it would just go away, but her voice just echoes in his mind. He takes a sip of his wine.

_Does he really want to do this?_

“Alexander?”

“Hm?”

Magnus glances back down at his wine glass as a troubled look spreads across his face. Alec immediately notices, sitting upright. His hand finds the one on Magnus’ thigh and squeezes it gently. “Magnus, what is it?”

Magnus lets out a ragged exhale as he looks back up at Alec, his dark eyes full of dread. “I think it’s time I talked to you…” He swallows thickly. “…about Camille.”

Alec’s eyes widen. “Magnus, you don’t have to—”

“Yes, I do, Alexander,” he interrupts. His eyes glance down at their hands as Magnus swipes his thumb gently across the top of Alec’s hand. “Camille was a very large part of my life and she comes up in a lot of my past. You’ve probably heard her name mentioned a plethora of times, right?” He watches Alec nod. Magnus closes his eyes and his brows crease together.

“Just take your time, Magnus,” Alec says calmly in a soft voice. “I’m not going anywhere.”

With a soft smile, Magnus nods. Alec’s encouragement lifts his spirits a bit. “I met Camille about a decade ago. At the time, I was still travelling around in foster care, and the house I was in at the time didn’t treat me well. So I ran off one evening and soon found myself in the city.”

 

_Magnus stops, huffing as he folds over himself. His legs are tired from running, and it’s gotten colder thanks to the night. Magnus looks at his surroundings. He’s caught between a few buildings and the hum of AC units and honking horns from busy New York traffic are the only sounds he can hear._

_“Hey, you!” Someone yells. Magnus turns his head to see a police officer calling out to him. His eyes widen. If he’s caught, they’ll send him back to that house. He can’t do that, not after what happened last night. In fear, he turns, running again despite the ache in his legs. He can hear the distant cry of the officer and his heavy feet beating against the pavement._

_Magnus turns a dark corner, hoping to get away from the officer, but he bumps into something, no…someone._

_“Oh, I’m so sorry, I—” Magnus’ breath catches as he takes in the young girl he accidentally bumped into. His first thought is that she’s **gorgeous**. Her long raven hair is curled and frames around her face elegantly. She wears a halter top and jeans with some small heels. Her dark eyes are lined with black eyeliner and her rosy red lips curl in confusion. Needless to say, he was transfixed._

_The distant yelling of the cop has the girl pulling him further into the alleyway. She tugs on the collar of his shirt before slamming him up against the wall of the alleyway._

_“Ow, what are you—?”_

_“Just shut up for a second,” she snaps at him, turning back towards the entry of the alleyway. As they hear the footsteps approach, she turns to him, suddenly pressing her lips against his. Magnus tenses under her touch, suddenly unaware of where to put his hands or how he should react. So he stands completely still, and waits for her to pull away._

_After a moment, she does, tossing her hair over her shoulder with a content smirk. “There, now he’s out of your hair,” she states, planting a hand on her hip._

_Magnus’ head still spins, but he tries to form the words in order to thank her. It fails, however, earning a laugh from her. Her eyes trail down his figure, studying his old clothes and dirty face. She quirks a brow._

_“You’re a runner, aren’t you?”_

_“A what?”_

_“A runner,” she elaborates as she reaches her hand to trace the bottom of Magnus’ jaw line. He feels the slight drag of her nails against his skin as he shivers. “They run away from their problematic homes in order for a better life.”_

_Magnus’ brows furrow before he nods. “I guess so.”_

_The girl smiles at him. “Allow me to introduce myself,” she says, straightening up and offering her hand to him, “My name is Camille Belcourt.”_

_Magnus shakes her hand lightly. “Magnus Bane.”_

_Her smile widens. “Magnus Bane…quite an exquisite name if I do say so myself.” She does another once-over of his figure before focusing back in on his face. “Tell me, Magnus Bane,” she emphasizes his name, “where do you hope to go now that you’re alone?”_

_Magnus’ shoulders slump. He’s suddenly hyperaware of the fact he is indeed alone. He ran from that house, and now he has no one. No friends, no nothing. A worried look crosses his features._

_“I…I don’t know.”_

_Camille purses her lips, tapping her chin lightly. “Do you want to be a part of a family?”_

_Magnus looks up through his dark lashes. “More than anything.”_

_Camille’s smile reappears, offering him a hand. “Would you want to be a part of mine?” She notes his hesitance. “We’re all runners, just like you. They’d **love**_ _you,” she emphasizes._

_“They?”_

_She nods. “The Downworld, my love. You’d fit right in.”_

_He studies her outstretched hand, and after a minute, his fingers curl around hers. “Take me away.”_

Alec’s brows furrow. “You accepted it immediately?”

 “I didn’t really have anything else to cling to.” He states, meeting Alec’s gaze, wearing a melancholy expression. “I was only 15, in and out of foster homes and unwanted by all of them. At that stage, I took anything I could get.”

Alec nods. “And after that?”

“Then I was taken back to Brooklyn,” he starts, taking a small sip of his wine. “And I became a Downworlder.” He gives another melancholy look. “When I joined, I didn’t really fall into any of the factions. At that point, I thought I wouldn’t be a part of them at all. But then, I met Dot.”

“Dot Rollins?”

Magnus nods. “She was sweet and charming, and we became friends quickly. She introduced me to some of the other Warlocks, and they made me feel at home. And it was. It was a _home_ ,” he emphasizes, a small smile crossing his features. “I guess the only thing left that I wanted was to find someone.”

His tone is almost at a whisper with that last statement. Alec doesn’t really respond, instead just waiting for him to continue. Magnus licks his lips nervously.

“After meeting Camille, I was transfixed. Never had I met someone like her. She was…beautiful.” He shakes his head. “No, she was more than that. She was brave and did what she wanted. She didn’t let people step over her, and I admired that. So much so that I fell in love with her.”

Alec’s heart sinks in his chest. He was in _love_ with her. This woman, the person he’s only heard about from others had been one of the most important people in Magnus’ life. His hand presses a bit more into Magnus’.

“But the other thing about Camille is that she’s a master manipulator,” he states, looking up at Alec with his warm brown eyes. “She knew exactly how to get a rise out of me and how to get me to do the things she wanted. I was blind to most of it, but after awhile, she made her intentions clear that she didn’t care about the relationship.”

“She cared more about your possession of the Book, didn’t she?”

He shrugs. “Maybe it was because I was one of the leaders. With both of us rising to leader statuses, she just…changed,” he trails off with a slight frown. “I don’t think I’ll ever know the reasoning.”

Alec looks down to their joined hands. “If she was so manipulative, then why do you feel the need to protect her by not talking about her?”

Magnus lets out another deep sigh, placing his empty wine glass down on one of the side tables. “Because I owe her my life,” he states grimly, looking back to Alec with a serious expression. “Not too many people know this, but before I was accepted into the Warlock group, before becoming the ‘High Warlock’, I was in a bad place. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t see my way out of it. And on one stormy night I—” he pauses, breaking his gaze on Alec. He runs his free hand across his face.

Alec’s brows furrow in concern.

“I got as far as the ledge on the Brooklyn Bridge. If it wasn’t for Camille, I wouldn’t be here right now. She was the only one who cared enough to stop me. And because of that, she saved me.” He gives another saddened look. “Even though we’ve had our moments, she’s always been my rock. She put up with the ugliness that is my past. So…forgive me if I seem hesitant about talking about her.”

Alec nods. “I…understand,” he mutters. “Izzy has always been there for me. She’s saved me from a lot of heartache.”

Magnus heaves a sigh. “Even after our many breakups, even after I fell for other people, there was still this hole in my heart. I couldn’t fill it. I was desperate to have someone beside me, to have someone who could be with me in the way I thought I deserved. But in the end, that never happened.” He huffs quietly, the corners of his lips twitching up in a ghost of a smile. “Guess she was right,” he mutters, “maybe I’m not worthy of love after all.”

Alec frowns as he presses his fingers around Magnus’ oh-so-slightly. “Magnus,” he calls as Magnus looks up at him. He licks his lips nervously. “Magnus, you are worthy. There is so much about you that is wonderful and beautiful and…” He sighs, before meeting his warm brown eyes, “there is nothing, and I mean _nothing,_ ugly about you.”

He can see the hint of color dust against Magnus’ tawny cheeks. He looks up through his dark lashes at Alec, and Alec feels the butterflies flutter in his stomach. He leans closer to Magnus, breathing in the sandalwood scent he’s missed for so long. For a moment, Alec just wants to forget professionalism. He just wants to revel in this moment, to be close to Magnus and feel his breath against his skin.

Their foreheads touch, and _damn_ if Alec doesn’t admit it feels electric. They stay there for awhile, just wrapped up in each other with their wine glasses forgotten on the table. He can feel Magnus’ eyes on him, the heat of his body, and the pulse of his breath. It drives him insane. He leans closer, their noses almost touching.

It’s then that Alec decides to take a leap of faith.

“Can I kiss you?” Alec whispers, his nose brushing against Magnus’. His hands are shaking and his breath is caught in his throat. They shouldn’t be doing this, they both know the danger. But nevertheless, Alec can’t help himself.

Magnus huffs out a laugh, and Alec can feel the heat of his breath against his lips. “Alexander,” he purrs, “do you really need to ask?”

He presses his lips firmly against Magnus’, feeling the familiar fire burn underneath his skin. Magnus’ lips are soft and smooth, and the faint taste of the chapstick he wears only makes Alec want more. He breaks from the initial kiss slightly, only to dive back in, languidly moving his lips against Magnus’.

Magnus is equally as receptive. He’ll admit his toes curl the second Alec goes back in for another kiss. Alec’s hands rest against his waist and subtly press further into his skin with each kiss. There’s a lingering fire around them, electricity sparking the air that buzzed with sexual tension. They’re both living for it.

They’re not sure how long it’s been when Alec finally pulls away, resting his forehead against Magnus’. They’re both huffing and Alec’s face feels incredibly hot. He lets out a breathy laugh as that million dollar smile Magnus loves lights up his face.

“What?” Magnus asks, smiling with the same kind of giddy feeling Alec feels.

“Oh come on, Magnus,” Alec breathes out. “You felt it too, didn’t you?”

Magnus bites back a smile, rolling his eyes playfully. “Oh I don’t know,” he coos, “I might need to feel it again, just to make sure.”

The warmth in Alec’s gut spreads as he chuckles, leaning in for another kiss. He feels the fire burn underneath his skin as Magnus responds to his kiss, weaving his fingers into Alec’s dark hair. Alec’s breathing stutters when Magnus’ tongue brushes against his top lip, and he opens his mouth on instinct, moaning lowly when Magnus’ tongue brushes his.

Magnus tastes of the wine they’ve been drinking, but there’s something addictive to it that makes Alec just want more. His hands trail down Magnus’ sides and trail down to grope his ass, drawing out a moan from Magnus. Magnus sits up slightly, shifting his weight so he sits gently on Alec’s lap. He continues to kiss Alec with everything he has, until he’s absolutely drunk on him.

He pulls away, yet again breathless. His dark lashes kiss his tawny cheeks, dusted with a hint of red from being so flushed.

“Do you think…” he pants out, “do you think you could stay over?”

Alec tenses under him, pulling away slightly. His eyes are wide as they glance over Magnus’ features. “I…Magnus that’s—”

“No, no, no,” Magnus says, shaking his head, “not like that. I just…” He sits back a bit so that he rests against Alec’s thighs and off of his lap. “I don’t want to be alone.” His voice is soft as he looks up at Alec. There’s vulnerability in his expression as he continues. “The nightmares, I’ve been having—I don’t want to wake up from them alone. I just…I need someone here,” he says softly, placing his hand lightly on Alec’s chest. “I trust you, Alexander. I wouldn’t ask this of anyone else.”

Alec’s heart beats rapidly in his chest. _Magnus is asking him to stay over. To spend the night!_ He looks over Magnus’ face, noting overly honest and vulnerable expression that paints over his flushed features. He can feel the slight tremble of Magnus’ fingers against the nape of his neck in worry that Alec may say no.

“If you want me to stay, I’ll stay,” Alec replies softly, his hands wandering up to Magnus’ jaw line. He gives a smile to Magnus before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

Magnus pulls away from him, sliding off his lap and standing. “Let me clean up a bit and then we can get some rest. Sound good?”

Alec nods, standing up. “I’ll clean up the food for you. You go do what you need to.”

Magnus nods with a smile before turning back to his bedroom, disappearing down the hall. He strips the red silk sheets and trades them for the gold ones he’s always loved. (He may or may not have thought they complimented Alec’s eyes as well). He pads around his room, tidying up the space he’s dirtied since he came back. By the time he turns around, Alec appears in the doorway with a soft knock on the door.

“Hey,” he greets with another smile, “I’ve cleaned up in the kitchen. Do you have a spare pillow and blanket?”

Magnus quirks a brow. “What do you mean?”

Alec shrugs. “I mean I’m fine without one, but the couch would seem a lot more comfortable with one.”

Magnus guffaws. “Alexander, you’re my guest. By all means, take the bed. I’ll be fine with the couch.”

“Magnus,” Alec calls, stepping forward into Magnus’ space suddenly. “You’ve been sleeping in a prison cell bed for a little over a month. I’m not subjecting you to the couch. Take the bed, please,” he pleads.

Magnus swallows thickly. “Okay,” he states, walking over to the bed. His hands brush against the silk sheets with a downcast look. “I just…I said I didn’t want to be alone, didn’t I?”

“Yeah…” Alec replies hesitantly, curiosity tracing his words. “What about it?”

Magnus shakes his head. “I don’t know, I just—” he catches himself, taking a deep breath and wiping his sweaty palms against his pants. “If I’m taking the bed, I guess I was just wondering if we could sleep on it together.”

Alec’s cheeks grow hot at the suggestion. Sleeping together with Magnus was definitely not on his mind when Magnus asked him to come over.

Then again, he didn’t expect to kiss Magnus either.

Alec nods wordlessly, probably a bit too much if you asked him. “Y-Yeah, we can do that. T-Totally.”

Despite his confirmation, Magnus still remains stiff. “I uh…let me get you some clothes,” he states, turning to his dresser and taking out a t-shirt and some loose fitting pants. He hands them to Alec. “The bathroom is right behind you,” he states, nodding to the door.

Alec nods again before turning to the bathroom and closing the door. His hands tremble as he unbuttons his shirt and jeans, trading them for Magnus’ clothes. _Magnus’ clothes._ He shivers at the thought.

 _Calm down, Alec,_ he thinks, _it’s just Magnus._

_Just Magnus._

_Just the man you’re in love with._

“Damn it,” he curses quietly as he pulls the pajama bottoms up around his waist and ties them secure. He turns back to the bedroom, opening the door to see that Magnus is still in the exact same place as he was before. His eyes immediately catch Alec the moment he walks back into the room, and Magnus bites his lip as he takes in Alec’s appearance in his clothes.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he whispers out, looking away with the darkest blush Alec has seen on Magnus. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

Alec chuckles a bit, though it’s probably more forced than he’d like it to be. He walks over to the left side of the bed before pushing away the covers and maneuvering to lie down on the bed. The plush mattress pushes back against his skin as the silk glides across his body. He meets Magnus’ gaze. “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. In fact,” he trails off, suddenly reaching to the foot of the bed where some of the throw pillows lie. He places them in the middle of the bed, between him and presumably where Magnus will sleep.

“There,” he states, satisfied with his work. “This way, I’ll still be next to you, but we won’t be overstepping anything.”

Magnus’ posture eases up a bit at the pillow wall before he nods, soon slipping underneath the covers on the right side of the bed. With a shaky exhale, he reaches to turn off the light. “Goodnight, Alexander.”

Alec smiles up at the ceiling, the warm feeling in his gut spreading through his body as Magnus calls him Alexander. “Goodnight, Magnus.”

With that, the light flicks off, covering them in darkness as the rain continues to patter silently outside. Magnus’ heart beats loudly in his chest as he closes his eyes, trying to control his breathing. He can hear Alec’s breathing level out before it transforms to soft snores ever so often. A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips as he turns to face away from the pillow wall. He can feel the warmth of the night settle into his tired bones, and very soon he feels the lull of sleep tugging him back into dreamland.

In the back of his mind, he remembers the kiss and the softness of Alec’s voice in the moments leading up to it.

_There is nothing ugly about you._

And for once, Magnus thinks he might believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it took us 15 chapters and 70,000+ words to get there, but we did it lololol
> 
> also everybody thank the lovely [ maia](http://archiveofourown.org/users/milominderbinder/pseuds/milominderbinder) for her love of careless whisper (followed by can u feel the love tonight) as I wrote the bed scene lmao gotta live for that romantic/sexual tension
> 
> the next chapter is basically all fluff (and some smut cause why not)   
> have fun kiddos :^)
> 
> (come find me on [ tumblr)](https://losteverytouch.tumblr.com/)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His heart is on fire, and no one can put it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A WHOLE SHIT TON OF FLUFF CAUSE WE NEED IT  
> (followed by Alec's explanation of why he quit being a cop for awhile (aka the 1% of angst in this chap whoops))
> 
> also, as promised theres a bit of smut in this one too and i apologize cause i am so very ace and i have no idea how to write smut lmao
> 
> a small tw for graphic depictions of violence and gun violence (we had to have a little bit of angst in here whoops)  
> for that angst scene, i HIGHLY suggest listening to the mahogany session of Amber Run's "I Found". it's soul changing and perfectly fits the mood.

The brightness of the morning sun peeking through the curtains of the room against Alec’s eyelids is what stirs him awake. It’s quiet and the room seems still, like the world outside suddenly came to a standstill.

His eyes flutter open as he takes in his surroundings. _Gold sheets…_ that’s right, he and Magnus shared a bed...

He almost jolts as the silk sheets shift slightly around him. A gentle pressure against his waist leaves Alec breathless as Magnus shifts closer to him. He takes a minute to compose himself before looking down to see Magnus’ peaceful sleeping face. His troubled expression has vanished, and those dark, long lashes of his rest against his caramel skin flawlessly.

 _Even asleep he’s gorgeous,_ Alec thinks.

He takes a minute just to admire Magnus and all his beauty. It’s odd, Alec admits, to see Magnus without his signature eyeliner around his eyes or the jewelry around his neck and fingers. But it’s also something Alec finds…endearing almost, as if Magnus is comfortable enough to be natural around Alec. He lifts a heavy hand from one of the sheets and brings it up to the long strands of Magnus’ dark hair, combing through the strands absentmindedly. The smell of sandalwood is intense when Alec is this close to him, but he doesn’t mind one bit.

“Enjoying yourself, Alexander?”

Magnus’ gravelly, sleepy tone immediately stops Alec in his tracks. He pulls back to see Magnus’ dark brown eyes glancing up at him with a slight teasing smile on his face. Alec bites his lip, attempting to shift back away from Magnus.

“S-Sorry, I—! The pillow wall kind of failed and I guess I—in my sleep I—” Alec trips over his words as he feels the heat pooling in his cheeks. “I didn’t mean to—”

“Alexander,” Magnus calls as a gentle hand comes up to brush his neck, “you don’t have to apologize for anything.”

The touch sends goosebumps skittering across Alec’s skin as he bites his lip in embarrassment. Magnus lets out a sort of strangled groan. “What?”

Alec tries not to draw attention to the fact Magnus stares at his lips. After a moment, however, he gazes back at Alec. “You really like biting your lip, don’t you?”

“I-It’s just a nervous tick, honestly. I—”

Magnus’ fingers press a bit firmer into the back of Alec’s neck, pulling him closer until Magnus’ lips meet his in a gentle kiss. The chaste action makes Alec’s heart stutter. However, it’s clear by the way Magnus slides his lips against Alec’s that he’s not content with being chaste. He pulls Alec impossibly close, his hands running up into Alec’s dark strands of hair. He pulls teasingly at the strands, making Alec release a stuttering groan.

Alec dives into the kiss, getting lost within the bliss that is Magnus. His hands roam across whatever part of Magnus he can find, across his chest and his back and down to his hips. He teasingly slips his hands across the curvature of Magnus’ ass slightly, and Magnus moans into his mouth before pulling at Alec’s lower lip with his teeth.

“Magnus,” he groans breathlessly. Magnus chuckles lowly a bit before he shifts his weight so that Alec lies on his back and Magnus practically lies on top of him. In this position, there’s no mistaking it, Magnus is hard. Alec makes another strangled noise in his throat as his hands grasp for something to distract him from the fact that _Magnus is hard._

“Alexander,” Magnus pants hotly into the shell of his ear, sending more shivers down Alec’s spine. His lips are hot and heavy, trailing down from the shell of his ear and down his neck. Magnus’ hands find the hem of Alec’s shirt, raking it up his torso before pulling back to tug it off of Alec’s body. Throwing the offending clothing aside, Magnus’ eyes trail down Alec’s torso.

He’s absolutely _toned,_ which he should have expected from someone back on the police force. A fair amount of dark chest hair files down from his pectorals, down the center of his chest to the waistband of his pants. There are small, cream-colored scars in different places and of varying sizes, most likely from old missions or cases that he had been on, but they don’t prominently stand out. Close to his left hipbone, there’s a dark tattoo of some symbol he doesn’t recognize. He decides it’s a question for another time as his gaze winds his way back up to Alec, who stares back at him with those lustful, hooded hazel eyes of his.

 Magnus bites back another moan, “ _Fuck_ , Alexander,” he starts, “It should be illegal for you to wear a shirt.”

Alec breathlessly chuckles before pulling him back into another heated kiss, this time with more desperation, teeth, and tongue than the other kisses before. Their hands are everywhere, on every crease and patch of skin they can get their hands on. Magnus’ hands dip slightly under the waistband of Alec’s sweatpants, and Alec swears he might lose it right there.

But Izzy’s words from yesterday come back to him. _We have to be careful_ , he thinks. He pulls away slightly from Magnus, who continues his ministrations and kisses down his neck. “M-Magnus,” Alec stutters, “w-wait a minute.”

As soon as Alec’s hands wrap around Magnus’ arms, he pulls back with a furrowed brow. “Did…I do something wrong?” He asks, a sudden vulnerability present in his voice.

“No, no,” Alec assures, his voice soft. “But right now, I was thinking we should just take things a bit…”

“Slow?” Magnus finishes his thought. Alec nods and Magnus hums before as sits up from their current position. “So?” He asks, giving Alec another soft smile. “What do you want to do then?”

Alec’s stomach growls in response, and they both laugh. “Breakfast?”

Magnus traces his fingertips against the top of Alec’s hand. “We’ll go make something then.”

Alec smiles, pressing another chaste kiss to Magnus’ lips. “It’s a date.”

 

~~~~

 

It turns out that Magnus is an exceptional cook. He can churn out a full breakfast in practically no time and Alec is nothing short of impressed. Though he hasn’t done as much, he stands over the stove scrambling some eggs. As he moves the spatula around the pan, two strong arms wrap around his waist and Magnus’ chin rests against his shoulder. Alec hums in approval at the gesture as he continues to cook.

It’s only when Magnus’ hands begin to venture elsewhere that Alec suddenly can’t concentrate on cooking. He feels as Magnus’ curious fingers prod the waistband of Alec’s sweatpants once again, and he tries to keep his composure.

“Magnus,” he warns, “I thought we said that we’d take this slow?”

There’s a chuckle from Magnus. “I don’t believe I agreed to such a thing,” he coos as his hands slip into Alec’s sweatpants. Alec groans when Magnus turns him around, turning off the stove and pushing him against the countertop slightly. He cages Alec in between his strong arms. Magnus’ dark brown eyes are blown wide with lust, and Alec tries not to let it affect him as much as it does.

Magnus’ hands return to the waistband of Alec’s sweatpants, pulling them down slightly so that the waistband of his boxer briefs suddenly appears. Magnus is on his knees now, looking up through dark lashes at Alec.

“ _Is this okay_?”

Words suddenly leave Alec’s brain, and all he can do is nod fervently. _Forget taking it slow,_ he thinks absentmindedly. How could he take things slow with Magnus looking at him like _that_?

With a sly smirk, Magnus curls his fingers around the waistband of his pants and underwear before effectively pulling them off. Alec’s cock springs free and Alec throws his head back with a loud groan at the sensation of the cool air against his hot skin.

“M-Magnus,” he stammers out, licking his lips in nervousness. He gasps when Magnus’ fingers come into contact with his cock. A shiver runs up his spine as Magnus begins to gently pump his cock, teasing the head and thumbing the slit. His hips surge forward at the action. “ _Fuck_ ,” he moans.

It’s enough to say that Magnus is living for Alec’s responsiveness. Admittedly, he was nervous because Alec seemed so hesitant and restrained before. But _now…_ now he wasn’t pushing him away. Quite the opposite, actually.

He leans forward as he releases a hot breath against Alec’s cock. The action causes Alec to shiver while simultaneously winding a hand into Magnus’ hair. He glances up to see Alec’s hazel eyes are almost black with lust. He bites his lip again as the pressure in Magnus’ hair increases slightly.

With a smirk, Magnus brings Alec’s cock to his mouth, kissing the slit slightly before taking the head into his mouth. Alec lets out a strangled and broken moan above him, tilting his head back. The pressure on Magnus’ hair decreases, as Magnus takes Alec into his mouth slowly until he feels the tip close to the back of his throat. He swallows deeply around Alec, only to hear a breathless gasp above him.

It’s been _months_ since he was given good head by someone, but Alec will admit that the way Magnus moves perfectly trumps any other encounter he’s ever had. Magnus is skilled in the way he bobs up and down his cock, teasing the underside with his tongue and hollowing out his cheeks ever so often. Alec will admit he’s also _exceptional_ at deepthroating, as he loses his breath with each swallow Magnus does around his cock. He lets out strangled groans and loud moans, hoping that there’s no one on the porch who could possibly hear them.

Alec rips out another, higher pitched moan when Magnus’ deft hands ghost over his balls. He rolls them gently, causing Alec’s toes to curl. He continues the ministrations as he bobs his head back and forth, and the simultaneous sensations have Alec gasping and moaning at every breath.

_Damn, Magnus is good._

It’s not too long before Alec feels the familiar heat settling in his gut. He gasps out when Magnus swallows deeply around him again. One of his hands brushes through the long strands of Magnus’ hair while the other clamps against the counter behind him.

“ _M-Mag—Magnus!”_ He moans out, trying his hardest to form words. But his brain is far off. His thoughts are blurred and all he can focus is on that _hot, wet mouth and—_

Magnus gives another harsh suck and moans around Alec, sending the vibration up Alec’s spine. It makes his toes curl again, and he’s so on edge. He doesn’t want it to end, but _fuck_ , he wants to find purchase.

“ _Magnus, I—I’m gonna—”_ Alec manages out, trying to warn Magnus that he’s close. But Magnus doesn’t pull off, rather his grip on Alec’s hips _increases_ and his dark brown eyes open to look at Alec. Alec groans. Magnus wants him to cum in his mouth.

_Fuck._

Another deep swallow pulls Alec out of his thoughts and plunges him headfirst over the edge. He moans out loudly as he climaxes, and Magnus swallows every drop he has to offer. Alec’s toes curl once again and his knees struggle to keep him up. He grips a bit tighter at Magnus’ hair.

The action causes Magnus to pull off slightly, which emits a lustful pop as he releases Alec’s dick from his mouth. He looks up at Alec with those brown eyes again, full of lust and something else Alec can’t pinpoint.

“I-I’m sorry,” Magnus apologizes, voice totally wrecked from his previous activities.

“ _Wh-What for?_ ” Alec pants out. He chuckles a bit, tipping his head back. “I thought you were doing quite well actually.”

Magnus chuckles a bit. “Y-Yeah. It’s just…the hair pulling I—” He sits back and looks away. He draws out a ragged breath. “And I’ve ruined the mood.”

 _Hair pulling?_ Alec questions, his mind not immediately on the case at hand. It takes him a good minute before he realizes. He tucks himself back into his underwear before bending down to Magnus’ level on the floor. “Oh God, Magnus I— I’m so sorry, I didn’t—” Alec starts, drifting back to his frazzled demeanor as he fumbles over his words.

Magnus places a finger to his lips. “It’s fine, Alexander,” he reassures. “I should have laid down some ground rules first, I guess.” He looks down at his lap. “I didn’t think it would have that much of an impact, honestly.”

Alec sits down next to him on the kitchen floor, taking one of Magnus’ hands in his. He brings it up and kisses the back of his hand gently before his hazel hues train directly to Magnus’ eyes.

“Magnus, don’t ever feel like you have to push yourself to do things like this for me. I don’t know of everything that happened in Edom, and I’m not going to pressure you to disclose any of that information unless you feel comfortable to. But when you are ready to talk about it, I’ll listen.” He smiles softly, his voice lowering a bit as he places his forehead against Magnus’. “There’s still a lot we have to figure out, and we’ll do that together.”

His heart somersaults in his chest at Alec’s words. Too many times when he’s told people about his insecurities, they halfheartedly brush them off, not taking them seriously. But not Alec. No, he’s here on the floor, comforting Magnus and promising him that he can open up to Alec. He isn’t sure if it’s just the lustful high from sucking his dick, but a warm feeling spreads throughout Magnus’ body just thinking about what Alec has done for him.

He realizes that he’s spaced out, and blinks a couple of times before nodding to Alec. He gently squeezes Alec’s hand in his and presses a gentle kiss to Alec’s right cheekbone. “ _Together,_ ” he whispers like a promise, pulling back to give Alec a soft smile.

The air between them settles, whatever tension that was there before fading away into the background. They sit there, just taking in each other, sharing small, chaste kisses until a familiar chime fills the air.

It’s Alec’s work chime.

The moment breaks, the shattering thought of reality crashing back over them. Alec draws back from Magnus, the heat of his hand fading away as he stands to reach over the counter to grab his phone.

Magnus doesn’t want to admit the sinking feeling he feels when Alec pulls away.

“Lightwood,” Alec answers grimly, leaning over the island counter with the phone pressed against his ear.

“Alec, hey!” Izzy’s cheerful voice echoes out from the speaker of his phone. “Luke’s in a meeting, so he told me to call you, but we’ve got some more information in regards to the bodies here. Aline is on her way, and we were going to go over the similarities between our cases to see what dots we can connect.”

Alec nods wordlessly. Behind him, Magnus shuffles around the kitchen before placing a small plate of breakfast food in front of Alec. He gives a soft smile and another kiss to his cheek before turning to fix himself some coffee.

“Sounds good. I’ll be there in 15 minutes.”

“Alright,” Izzy retorts. She speaks up after a small pause. “Oh, and Alec?”

“Hm?”

“Try not to show up at the precinct looking completely debauched, will you?”

 

~~~~

 

Much to Izzy’s satisfaction, Alec shows up with his head on his shoulders. It took far too long for him to leave Magnus’ place. Especially after the pout Magnus gave him about not knowing what time he’d be back.

He trudges into the precinct morgue where Izzy stands over Dot Rollins’ body with Aline talking to her. Aline wears almost the exact same thing Alec does: a collared shirt with the embroidered “NYPD” on the left chest and matching cargo pants, complete with army boots and her belt. Her eyes immediately find Alec and she smirks at him.

“Someone got laid,” she says proudly, nodding at him.

Alec almost trips. “I-I did not!” He says, stuttering a bit. His cheeks are hot in embarrassment as he watches the two girls share a look before looking back to the case at hand.

“Right. Your sex life aside, we’ve been doing some thorough research on some of these bodies,” Izzy says, turning to the examination table and taking up some of the files. “Thanks to our lovely Aline here, we’ll be able to see what’s similar between these bodies and the ones they have in the case in Manhattan.”

“And the more that match up, the less Magnus can be accused of, right?”

Izzy nods. She turns back to Dot’s body, pointing to some of the odd patterning around her face. The veins are dark and sunken in, and surprisingly still fresh enough for examination despite the time the body has been in the morgue. “The discolored veins are a sign of heavy poisoning, and that was a prominent feature in some of the bodies in Aline’s case.”

Alec glances up at Aline. “I don’t think we formally asked you, but did you ever come up with a profile? Like based on evidence, did you have premonitions?”

Aline nods, crossing her arms. “There’s a lot of evidence there, interestingly enough. Each of the bodies has different things done to them, but each has poison and heavy ligature marks in their bodies. It took us a few months to establish the connect cause all of them are _so different_ ,” she states plainly, brows furrowed. “And yet here with the Bane case, they don’t stray too far from each other.”

“Which means they’re clever enough to change the MO enough to not pick it up in our systems,” Alec retorts as he looks back to Dot’s body.

“Now I’m not saying that’s wrong, Alec,” Aline starts, “but killers are typically very rooted in their MO’s. The fact that they stray this much in the Manhattan murders and this case? Honestly, I don’t think we’re dealing with one killer here.”

Izzy and Alec’s heads perk up immediately, turning to her. Both share a wide eyed look. “You think there’s a chance there are more people in on this?”

Aline shakes her head. “Not a chance, a definite fact.” She takes out a file from her jacket and hands it to Izzy. “We found another body last week, same as the others, with the mark, poison, and ligatures. But she was almost completely burned. They found that at the crime scene,” she states, nodding at the file in Izzy’s hands.

Izzy’s eyes widen. “Scratch marks?”

“And boot prints,” Aline adds. “The boot prints could’ve been anyone, but our analyst is like you Izzy, crazy into fashion. It’s pretty clear that those markings are from heels against the hardwood floors.”

“So a man and a woman tag team then?” Alec asks.

Aline nods. “It’d seem that way, unless the victim herself left those marks in the scuffle. But that hardly seems plausible considering she didn’t own a pair in her closet.”

Alec frowns. _Two killers_ , he thinks. It would make sense. Aline is right with the fact that the MO is all over the place except for a few distinct factors. However with Magnus’ case, they seem more restrained. If two killers were doing this, it would make sense that one may be restraining the other for the sake of framing Magnus.

_But how do these Downworlder murders relate to Magnus’ case?_

That’s the question they’re all still dying to know.

 

~~~~

 

Waking up to see Alec’s face next to his, hands stroking softly at his hair, was something Magnus could get used to. Though the pillow wall had failed, he didn’t mind. Alec’s body was warm and comforting, and his deep breaths resonated against Magnus’ body.

For once, the plagues of yesterday—his past—were out of his mind. Alec always had a way of making it better.

He loved Alec for that.

And he wanted to express that. Through every kiss, every gentle caress of his fingers, he wanted to show Alec how much he meant to him.

Sucking his cock…well, that was a bit of an impulsive decision on his part. He had been holding back all thoughts of Alec for the sake of professionalism, but after the kiss, it was clear that the both of them could care less about that. They’re walking a dangerous line, he knows, because if either he or Alec is caught in a precarious arrangement, there’s a chance that the case could get far worse than it needed to be.

And considering how he was one step closer to freedom, the threat of possibly going back to Edom is far from comforting.

A shiver runs down his spine at the thought.

 _You need to take your mind off of it,_ Magnus thinks to himself. _Don’t get caught up in the voices. They don’t control you._ He turns back to glance at the clock. A couple of hours have already passed since Alec left, and Raj came in not too long ago to make sure he was still there.

There was no telling when Alec was going to come back, any police job promised odd hours, he knew.

Magnus glances down at the counter and after a deep sigh, he turns and picks up his home phone, dialing in the familiar numbers and pressing the phone up to his ears.

He just hopes she isn’t working right now.

“Well well well, if it isn’t the convict himself,” A teasing voice greets him after the 4th ring. He rolls his eyes playfully as he walks over to the living room, plopping down on the cream colored couch.

He crosses his ankles. “My dear Catarina, didn’t you hear? That murder charge was dropped.” He can hear her chuckle on the other side of the line.

“That’s only for one man, not the other seventeen.”

He scoffs. “I’m perfectly confident that my defense attorney can convince the court that I am indeed an innocent man.”

Catarina hums on the other side of the line. “Oh? And how is Mr. Defense Attorney Alec Lightwood?” She inquires teasingly. “Or should I say Officer Lightwood now?”

Magnus looks to his lap. “He’s fine,” he says simply.

“Uh huh,” she replies, discontent.

“What?”

“You really have nothing else to say about him except ‘he’s fine’?” Catarina questions. “You forget that you called me the day after your first meeting with him stressing over the fact you joked about handcuff kinks during your introductions.”

Magnus guffaws. _Fuck, he totally forgot about that. Why the hell did he do that again?_ He shakes away the thought, clearing his throat. “R-Right…well…” he pauses for a minute, brows furrowing together. “You can’t get mad at me.”

He can practically see the pointed look Catarina would give him if they were face to face. “Magnus…” she trails off in a warning tone.

He sighs, sinking further into the couch cushions. “He’s…he’s more than fine, Cat. He’s stupidly funny and caring, and he’s got the goofiest smile I’ve ever seen, and Chairman absolutely _adores_ him and—” He bites his lip. “If the first meeting was anything to go by, after the trial is 1000 times worse.”

He’s quiet suddenly, listening as Catarina says nothing. His feet tap impatiently. He typically doesn’t like to do this, to confess everything to her all at once because he knows that in their many years of friendship she’ll tease him about it endlessly. Lord knows he already has enough reminders of his parties gone awry. She’s always so harsh when it comes to the people he dates too, determined to make sure that no one will hurt him as Camille did. He trusts her, but he’s also scared because _what if she doesn’t like Alec?_

He honestly can’t imagine if they couldn’t get along.

“So then have you done anything about it?”

“Huh?”

She scoffs again. “I’m asking if you’ve _done_ anything, Magnus. You two are running circles around each other more than a dog chases his tail,” she states, “especially after what I saw at the trial. He was making such heart eyes at you the entire time, hon. I’m pretty sure the entire courtroom could see it.”

Magnus flushes in embarrassment. “Well, if that’s your take on it, you’ll be pleased to know that he’s an exceptional kisser.”

He smiles when he hears Catarina’s overdramatic gasp on the other end of the line. “ _Magnus!_ ” She exclaims as something rustles in the background. She must have gotten so surprised she stood up from whatever she was doing. Magnus smirks. “You kissed your defense attorney?!”

He picks at the lint on his sweatpants. “It was a mutual decision from both parties, darling,” he says softly. “But if it counts for anything, he did ask if I was okay with it before kissing me.”

“ _He_ kissed you?” She curses under her breath. “I owe Ragnor twenty dollars then.”

Magnus sputters. “I’m sorry, do you mean to tell me my two best friends in the world placed bets to see which of us would kiss the other, if at all?”

Catarina laughs. “What matters is that no matter who kissed who, the both of us are happy for you.”

“Even if one of you loses twenty dollars because of it,” Magnus laughs.

“Even then,” she affirms, her laughter simmering down a bit. “You do know you’ll have to introduce me to him sometime, right? I have to give the big speech and all that.”

Magnus groans, throwing his head back against the armrest. “You’ll scare him away.”

“Oh please, if he’s an officer I’m sure he’s faced far worse things than someone like me. Besides, if he does run, you know he doesn’t deserve you.”

Magnus chuckles a bit at that. “And how about Ragnor? Is the old coot surviving without me?”

Catarina smiles on the other end. “He’s still as bitter and grumpy as always, perhaps more so since you’re not there at the bookstore with him to bounce ideas off of.”

He looks over to the kitchen, where Alec’s plate from breakfast rests on the counter. He smiles. “Trust me, if everything goes as well as Alexander says it will, he’ll be seeing me in due time.”

Catarina hums on the other line. “You’ve really fallen for him, haven’t you?”

Magnus’ eyes catch Chairman, who appears near the base of the couch. He jumps up and settles in Magnus’ lap, curling up silently. He brushes his fingers through Chairman’s short, grey fur. “I think so,” he says quietly. There’s still a lot of uncertainty to his voice, and he’s sure Catarina can sense it.

He’s scared, admittedly. After Camille, his heart was in shambles. And with this case, people he used to love have started dropping like flies. If he’s honest, he’s scared of losing Alec. But when he looks at him with those bright hazel eyes full of hope, Magnus can’t help but believe that this can work, that this will be different.

He’s scared, but with Alec, he feels as though he could take on the world.

 

~~~~

 

It’s about 8 hours later when Alec comes back to Magnus’ house. He’s still dressed in his work uniform, shrugging off his NYPD jacket and laying it on the back of the couch as he walks into the house. Magnus stands in the kitchen over the stove cooking something that smells delectable.

“Hey,” Alec greets, walking up to Magnus and hugging him from behind. He presses a kiss to Magnus’ right cheek.

“Good evening, darling,” Magnus greets gently, continuing to stir the vegetables in the stew.

Alec takes in a deep breath. “It smells great. I didn’t know you could cook dishes like these.”

Magnus shrugs halfheartedly. “I’ve had to learn over the years. Making medicines is similar to cooking in a way, so I guess I had a natural knack for it,” he states, taking a bit of the soupy stock and drawing it into a bit of the wooden spoon. He lifts it up and blows on it, before gesturing it towards Alec.

Alec blinks in surprise a bit before tasting it. “Mm,” he hums, licking his lips. “Maybe a bit more salt and more…is that paprika?”

Magnus smiles up at him, his dark rimmed eyes shining with endearment. “You’re sense of taste is spot on, I’m impressed.” He turns back to the pot, adding the appropriate spices before placing the top on the pot to let it simmer. He turns back to Alec with a smile. “So how was work?”

Alec shrugs, pursing his lips slightly. His hand rubs against his scruffy jaw line, scratching at it absentmindedly. “Boring as usual?” He leans back against the island counter. “Izzy and I talked with Aline, one of the officers we know from the Manhattan precinct, to see what we could connect in terms of our cases.” He looks up to Magnus. “She’s investigating the Downworlder murders over there that are turning up with that same symbol I showed you.”

Magnus nods stiffly. “And you said that all the victims in my case had it too, right?” Alec nods. He lets out an uneven breath. “Hopefully it’s enough.”

“It will be, I promise.”

Magnus gives a slight smile to Alec before turning back to the kitchen and prepping a few more things. He pours a couple glasses of wine, handing a glass to Alec. He takes a sip of the white wine, which is oddly sweet.

“So,” Alec starts, propping his elbows on the countertop at the island. He watches Magnus cook. “How was your day?”

He receives an airy chuckle as he chops some scallions. “Well, house arrest guarantees a dreadfully boring day. But if you must know, I did some cleaning and organizing, especially the apothecary. I also happened to talk with Catarina for the first time since I left Edom.”

Alec takes another sip of his wine. “How’d that go?”

“She’s still the Catarina I’ve come to love,” he retorts with a shrug. He places the chopped scallions into the stew pot and stirs it around. “I’m going to have to invite her over sometime, that way you can meet her officially.”

Alec quirks a brow. “She’s seen me before?”

“You’re one of the best lawyers in Manhattan, darling,” he coos, “ _everyone_ has seen or heard of you.”

Alec gives a small proud smile, continuing to make idle chatter with Magnus as he cooks. Within the next hour, they’ve had dinner—which, Alec should add, was _amazing_ —and now rest on the couch nursing their second or third glass of wine. Magnus has been talking about his adventures with Ragnor and Catarina for the past 10 minutes, and it has Alec chuckling and smiling so much that his cheeks hurt.

“What about you, Alexander?” Magnus asks, taking a sip of his wine. “Surely you have some wonderfully odd stories about being on the force, or at least cases that you’ve had to cover.”

Alec nods. “There are so many, it’s hard to keep track of them all,” he states with a smile. “Though there was this one time, back when I was on the Manhattan force, that we got this domestic disturbance call. We went over, and apparently the girl got so mad at her boyfriend that she hit him with an uncooked pack of bacon.” He fights off his laughter threatening to blow over. “He made a huge deal out of it, and honestly it was one of the strangest calls I had in awhile.”

Magnus laughs and it sends a warm feeling through Alec’s body. His laugh is deep and rumbling and honest, and Alec just falls in love with it the more he hears it.

“Though there was a call a couple of weeks ago that we had that was your classic home invasion robbery. The guy was called in by a few of the neighbors, and so when we got to the house, he hit the ground running, almost literally. The guy was on the _second floor_ and he just…jumped out the window and ran.”

He meets Magnus’ wide eyed look. “And?”

“He didn’t get away,” Alec reassures. “I was on the ground when he jumped out the window and ran after him. He wasn’t that quick, and when I finally pinned him down, the guy said all he had wanted to do was play video games for a bit.” He shakes his head, remembering it. “Like this man literally broke into someone’s house just to play video games on their console, nothing else.”

He preens a little when Magnus laughs again.

“There are so many weird cases, but there are also the cases that you have no idea how it will play out. I mean, you always have people that will run, and that’s kind of fun ‘cause you know they hardly stand a chance. But I remember this one case we went on a literal car chase after this guy. He wouldn’t pull over for the life of him.” His smile reappears on his face as he places his wine glass back down on the coffee table. “I don’t know where he learned it, but the man knew how to maneuver a car. Like the turns and tricks he did with the car to try and get away were impressive.” His laughter builds. “The poor guy must’ve been on his last gallon, because he ran out of gas not long after. Oh God, it was the funniest thing to see his face and—”

His eyes catch Magnus’, but he notices that Magnus isn’t laughing with him. Instead, Magnus frowns, his brows creasing together in confusion.

Alec’s laughter subsides as he quirks a brow with a now-serious look. “What is it?”

Magnus sits up a bit. “It’s just—whenever you talk about a case, whether it be about a robbery or just helping some grandma get her cat from a tree, you just light up.” His eyes flick over his features. “You may not say it out loud, but I can tell you enjoy doing this, being a cop.”

Alec turns away from Magnus, suddenly finding the floor interesting.

“Why deny that you love this job, Alexander? You’re perfectly capable and—”

“I can’t, Magnus,” Alec interrupts. “Trust me, there’s more to it than that.”

Magnus places a hand on Alec’s shoulder. “Is it because of your parents? If you’re afraid of going back to them, I’m sure Luke would love to make you a permanent member of—”

“No, Magnus.”

“Why not?”

“Because I killed my brother, Magnus!” Alec yells out suddenly, looking back to Magnus. His hazel eyes are glazed over with regret and agony, and Magnus can only wonder why. Alec turns away from him again, looking down at his hands. “My brother was killed because of me, and I can’t...I can’t have that happen again.”

Magnus shifts closer. “Your brother...it wasn’t Jace, right?”

Alec shakes his head lightly. “No. It was my little brother...his name was Max.”

He can hear the pain in Alec’s voice as it wavers slightly when he says Max’s name. Silently, Magnus leans closer and brushes his fingers across the nape of Alec’s neck. His fingers gently prod at the tufts of hair there.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Alec remains stiff, even though Magnus tries to comfort him with gentle touches. After a few minutes of silence, Alec sighs deeply.

“Since I was young, my parents have always expected me to follow in their footsteps and take over the Institute...er, the Manhattan Precinct,” he starts, his voice barely above a whisper. “And I did what I could to achieve that. I went to the Academy, graduated at the top of my class, and got a position within the precinct.”

A hint of a smile graces his features. “I remember the day I graduated, I had to dress in my full uniform. The tie, the hat, everything.”

 

_He stands in view of the full length mirror, letting out a nervous sigh as he fixes his black tie around his neck. His hair is slicked back and he’s tamed the growing stubble on his jaw line. Despite how much he’s waited for this day, he’s still filled with the nervous jitters._

_“Woah!”_

_Alec turns suddenly towards the voice, only to see a small boy peering in through the doorway. His mouth is agape in awe with his bright eyes wide. Alec smiles at him. “Max, hey.”_

_Max runs over to him, joy written over his features. Alec squats down to meet his 6-year-old height. “You look so cool, Alec!”_

_Alec’s smile widens. “Thanks, Max. I’m graduating today, and then soon I’ll be a real cop.”_

_“And stop the bad guys?”_

_“And stop the bad guys,” Alec confirms, ruffling his brother’s light brown hair slightly._

_“You’ll be like a superhero!” He exclaims gleefully. “You’ll have to come to school one day, so I can tell my friends my big brother is a superhero!”_

_Alec laughs before nodding. “Alright Max. Once I’m on the force, I will.”_

Alec’s smile falters a bit. “He was so excited about me being a cop. You should’ve seen it, Magnus,” he states, turning back to Magnus. 

Magnus smiles at him softly. “He was proud of you.”

Alec nods. “Shortly after I graduated, I was transferred to the precinct under my parent’s authority. And for a few years, I fit in there. I went on countless missions, running down criminals and solving crimes.” His brows furrow. “I had been working there for a little over 3 years when it happened. Generally, my parents and I worked certain shifts at the precinct, and we always had it placed so that one of us could pick Max up after school. Sometimes it was Mom or Dad, and then sometimes I picked him up. That particular day my parents had a meeting with the board, so I went to go pick him up.”

He tenses a bit again, but Magnus’ gentle strokes against his back help him from getting too caught up in it.

“Max really loved showing me off to all his friends,” he states. “So often times I took my cop car to the school while in uniform and picked him up. The looks on his friends faces every time I pulled up...” He huffs out a quiet chuckle, but it dies out quickly. He swallows thickly, wetting his lips with a brush of his tongue in nervousness. “T-That day though, when I went to pick him up, I didn’t see him out with some of the other kids. I got out of the car to wait for him, and that’s when I heard it. Gunshots.”

Magnus’ eyes go wide.

“I knew the protocol, so I called in for immediate backup. I was supposed to wait, but—” he shakes his head. “I didn’t. I ran inside with my gun in hand.”

 

_The initial shots had echoed out, and his body was on autopilot. Gun cocked and ready, he quickly entered the school through the front doors, his steps careful and steady. The halls were eerily quiet, not a sound to be heard._

_He keeps his head turning, constantly surveying his surroundings for any signs of life. He walks towards one of the classrooms and peers in the window only to see the teacher and her students cowering in the corner behind her desk. He opens the door quickly and slips inside. “It’s okay, ma’am,” he reassures, pulling out his badge. “I’m with the Manhattan police force. Backup is on the way.”_

_She nods, her nervousness prominent. Alec keeps his eyes trained on the hallway. “Is there any way you can get these kids out of here?”_

_She nods again. “T-The windows can open.”_

_“Get the children to the busses as safely as you can. Police will be here shortly,” he says sternly. “Please, be safe.” With that, he turns back and enters the hall once again._

_Three gunshots, followed by shrill screams set fire to his nerves. He runs in the direction of the shots, his breathing labored. He turns a corner._

It’s coming from the cafeteria _, he thinks._

_Sure enough, he comes to the doors to see an older man with a gun flailing and yelling about. There are some kids in there, cautiously hiding where he can’t see them. The man is ragged and Alec can immediately see how lost the man is. When he turns his back to the doors, Alec bursts in._

_“Police!” He exclaims. “Drop the weapon and puts your hands on the ground!”_

_The man turns back to Alec with wide eyes and scoffs. “Police? One policeman ain’t gonna do a bit of good, son!” He exclaims. His words are slurred, Alec notices._

_His gaze doesn’t waver. “Drop the weapon, or I’ll be forced to shoot!”_

_The man catches a kid who manages to fall into plain sight. He goes to reach for the kid. “C’mere!” The kid screams, scrambling away in fear._

_Alec feels a wave of calm overtake him and shoots a warning shot, which rockets past the man and into the wall behind him._

_The man looks back to Alec and sneers. He lifts up the gun quickly and swiftly. More gunshots ring out._

_Alec ducks, dodging the bullets and doing a small roll before he fires three shots himself._

_Bang!_

_One to the chest._

_Bang!_

_Another to the chest._

_Bang!_

_One to the forehead._

_..._

_For a minute, there’s a tense silence as the man gargles his last breath, blood trailing down from the corners of his mouth. His eyes roll back into his head before he reels back, gravity taking his body to the floor. His body falls with a soft thud. Alec breathes a sigh of relief._

_“A-Alec...”_

_Alec’s eyes widen at the pained voice, suddenly turning around. His eyes go wide as the world freezes around him._

_Max stands a few feet behind him._

_Four gunshot wounds bloom from his chest, red starting to pool around them._

_The breath leaves Alec’s lungs as he watches Max reel backwards, gravity taking his body to the floor. His body moves without thinking, going to catch Max before he hits the floor._

_His hands shake._

_He suddenly can’t breathe._

_There’s blood—_

_There’s so much blood—_

_The sound that rips from Alec’s throat is something that he doesn’t recognize, somewhere between a broken sob and a yell. His shaking hands open up Max’s jacket to assess the damage._

_There’s so much blood—_

_His hands are quick, suddenly pressing to Max’s bleeding chest. It’s warm and slippery, and it’s coming out so quickly and—_

_“Max! Max! Stay with me, please!” Alec cries out, pressing his hands firmly against the wounds in his body.  Max cries out in pain. “I-I know it hurts, I’m s-so sorry Max. Please just—stay with me. C’mon—just—”_

_He looks up from Max, looking around. One of the teachers appears in his line of sight._

_“Get a medic! Hurry!” He practically screams out. She nods, quickly escorting some of the other children out before rushing out into the hall. Alec looks back down at Max, his vision suddenly going blurry with tears. “M-Max, don’t you worry. W-We’re gonna get you help, okay?”_

_Max whimpers._

_Alec looks to Max’s chest where his hands press against the wounds. He reaches for the jacket, placing it over the bleeding holes. The soft green material quickly turns red and squishy. Alec sees all the blood on his uniform, his pants, his arms—_

_There’s so much blood._

_He barely registers when the medic comes rushing in. He’s frantic and Alec tries to fill him in on everything. The medic nods. He says something to Alec, but he doesn’t hear it. It sounds like it’s miles away._

_He feels like he’s been swallowed by a wave._

_Disoriented, being thrown in a thousand directions. Emotions wash over him, beating against him one minute after the next. He can’t breathe, like water is rushing into his lungs and drowning him on the inside._

_He can’t take it._

_He’s desperate for breath, gasping in large handfuls of air._

_It’s not enough—_

_He can’t breathe. He can’t—_

_There was just so much blood. So much—_

 

“Alexander!” Magnus calls out suddenly, his hands forcing Alec’s shoulders in the direction so that Alec faces him. Magnus’ features are filled with worry and fear, but their blurred.

When had he started crying?

Alec hunches over, suddenly exhausted. Magnus’ grip has softened, hands wandering down to his biceps as his thumbs gently stroke Alec’s skin. He traces over a few scars absentmindedly. Alec takes in a deep breath and releases it. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes.

“Don’t apologize, darling,” Magnus says softly. “Just take your time.”

Alec swallows thickly as he presses the heels of his hands to his eyes. “They took him into the ambulance, but by the time they reached the hospital, he...he lost too much blood,” Alec’s voice cracks, his body trembling at all the emotions coming back to haunt him. “After that day...it was never the same for our family. My parents...our parents completely shut us out. I tried talking to them about it, but my mom she—” he lets out another shaky breath. “She yelled and screamed at me. Told me I was to blame for Max’s death. And I was.”

“Alexander—“

“No, Magnus,” he interrupts, looking back up to see Magnus’ teary expression. “It’s my fault Max is dead. If I hadn’t had dodged...he’d still be alive.” His brows furrow. “I killed my brother and destroyed my family, Magnus. I can’t...I can’t go back to being a full time cop after that. I just can’t.”

There’s a stiff, stagnant silence that reigns between them with Alec’s sniffles being the only sound between them. After a while, Magnus takes Alec’s hands in his, lifting them up and kissing each of his knuckles softly. He trails the soft kisses up Alec’s arms and across some of the faint scars there. He lifts up his head to press another gentle kiss to Alec’s forehead. 

“You may not believe me when I say it, but you are not to blame for what happened, Alexander.” Alec goes to open his mouth, but Magnus stops him. “If you hadn’t had dodged, you would’ve taken those bullets. Your family would still have to cope with the loss of a son. Your team would mourn the loss of a friend.” He swallows before starting again. “You saved countless amounts of people that day, both children and teachers. If you hadn’t had gone in, those casualties would have been far greater than what they were. I know what it’s like to lose someone close to you, Alexander, you and I both know that. The pain of losing someone...it hurts so much. Though it gets easier with time, it’s never easy.”

He takes a deep breath, staring into Alec’s hazel eyes. His thumbs brush across Alec’s cheeks gently. “Though they can’t be with us in the way we want them to be, they’re still there.” His hand drops to Alec’s chest, where his heart is. “They’re still here. And those memories will live on as long as you do. He will always be with you, Alexander. _Always_.”

Alec looks up through his dark lashes and tear-glazed eyes up at Magnus. His mind and heart are fighting against each other, mind forcing him to take the blame while his heart wants to believe in Magnus’ words. He breathes in a shuddering breath before leaning close to Magnus. He buries himself into the crook of Magnus’ neck, where the sandalwood scent is most prominent and lets the tears shake his body. 

They stay there for a long while, lying back on the couch. Alec lies on top of Magnus, and Magnus silently combs through the strands of his hair as he cries against him. Alec’s breathing soon levels out, his shaking subsiding as Magnus’ gentle fingers trace down to the small of Alec’s back. 

They lie there together in each other’s warmth, basking in the calm that washes over the both of them.

When Magnus hears a soft snore from Alec, he closes his eyes and breathes in deeply. Another wave of emotions flood through him, surprisingly warm and comforting. He’s only felt it once before, but he knows the feeling immediately. With a faint whisper passing through his lips, he admits it to the silent room.

“ _I love you, Alexander_.”

 

~~~~

 

Since admitting it to himself, Magnus’ heart has been surging. Despite the fact that he’s still under house arrest, that he’s still accused of killing 17 people, he feels like he’s on cloud nine.

It’s odd, he thinks, because this is the first time in awhile he’s let someone in. He’s been so guarded before, but somehow Alec does everything to break down his walls the minute he tries to put them up. He’s never been with someone the way he is with Alec, and it’s both terrifying and thrilling.

He dares to say he’s gotten used to Alec’s permanent presence in his home. Since the trial, Alec has been admitted to the special force overseeing his house arrest. He almost always has a night shift, and they spend too many nights tied up between the sheets just reveling in the warmth of each other, warding off the early December air.

But Alec isn’t always there. Sometimes he’s called out to the precinct, and sometimes there are a countless number of days where he doesn’t show up to the house at all. Those days are the loneliest, he’ll admit, because the warmth that Alec brings is suddenly gone. Though some of the other officers will come in and talk to him, they have nothing on Alec.

Whenever he can’t be there, Alec will send Magnus texts throughout the day. He remembers when Alec got a call from Lydia’s firm, and he had to sit through one of the most boring meetings. He ended up texting Magnus all through it, sending countless quips about how Jace’s suit was the worst thing he’d seen in years. Magnus agreed.

And for a couple of weeks, it continues like this, blissfully happy while waiting for the court to finally settle on the official trial date. He knows it will have to be soon, somewhere between the end of the month and the start of the New Year. It makes him nervous, if he’s to be honest.

The front door opens suddenly, a surge of cold blowing through the house as Alec quickly makes his way into the room. It’s late again, and Magnus has been watching _Project Runway_ over a box of take out Raj got for him earlier. He looks over to the doorway to see Alec locking it back and heaving a sigh. Despite the cold, he’s sweaty and looks absolutely exhausted. Magnus pauses the show and turns to him.

“Long day?”

“Yeah,” Alec sighs, turning to Magnus before coming over and placing a chaste kiss to his lips. Alec’s lips are cold against his, and his toes curl a bit at the touch. “The precinct has been hell lately, especially with December rolling around. The Christmas season seems to make idiots out of everyone,” he says, shaking his head. “Bunch of Christmas kooks.”

Magnus chuckles. “Grinch much?”

Alec pouts a bit at him. “I already get that enough from my siblings. Forgive me if I’m not as excited because of all the robbery calls we get 2 days before Christmas.” He shakes his head a bit, dropping his dull tone and replacing it for more of a soft one. “Have you stayed warm here, babe?”

Magnus’ heart flutters a bit at the pet name. He nods. “I’ve had a few more cups of tea and a couple more blankets than usual, but yes, I’m fine. Have you eaten?”

Alec nods. “Yeah, Luke took our team out for dinner after our last call was done,” he yawns a bit. “Sorry.”

“Tired?”

“Yeah, just a bit.”

He turns back to the coffee table, turning off the show and taking the rest of his take out to the kitchen. “Just let me clean this up, and then we can get ready for bed.”

Alec nods as he strips himself of his jacket and boots, sighing as the exhaustion pulls at his bones. He walks over to Magnus and wraps his arms around his waist, pressing gentle kisses to his shoulders. Magnus inhales sharply at the action.

“On second thought,” he starts, voice wavering slightly, “we should probably get a shower before heading to bed.” Magnus’ eyes trail down Alec’s chest. “No offense, but I’d rather have you sweating in bed over different activities than hunting down criminals.”

The directness of the statement makes Alec’s cheeks flourish crimson. Gone is the exhaustion, and suddenly his mind is going a thousand miles a minute. “W-We?” He stutters.

Magnus’ eyes darken as he draws himself closer to Alec. Magnus’ nose brushes against his and his hands trail down his tight, black polo shirt. A knowing, teasing smirk pulls at the corner of Magnus’ lips.

“Yes, _we_ ,” he affirms, his fingers finding Alec’s belt loops and pulling him closer, close enough that Alec can feel the muscles beneath Magnus’ clothes. “Unless you have a problem with that?”

Magnus voice is still teasing, but Alec’s ears can instantly identify the vulnerability that hides in the tone of his voice.

This time, it’s Alec turn to smirk.

“I think my problem is that we have on too many clothes.”

Magnus bites his lip and smiles up at Alec before latching his hand around Alec’s, pulling him in the direction of Magnus’ bedroom.

 

~~~~

 

Magnus’ bathroom is just as luxurious as his bedroom is. The first night they spent together, Alec was far too distracted by wearing Magnus’ clothes to really focus on the tiling of the bathroom.  The bathroom itself houses a double vanity with a long, drawn out mirror and bright lights hanging above it. Across from the vanity is a large glass shower decorated in amber tiling. The whole room is golden and warm, and the heat coming from the inside of the shower as Magnus turns the hot water on only strengthens the feeling.

Magnus turns back to Alec, a bit of nervousness flickering in his chocolate-amber eyes. Alec senses it immediately, talking a step forward and pressing chaste kisses to his face. It leaves Magnus breathless as Alec’s kisses travel down to his neck. Alec’s stubble scrapes lightly against his neck, sending shivers and goosebumps across Magnus’ caramel skin.

Skillful fingers find the hem of his shirt as Alec carefully pulls up at it, eventually helping Magnus out of it and dropping it somewhere on the floor. Alec’s gaze falls to Magnus’ torso, and he immediately feels self conscious. He brings his arms across his suddenly bare chest, looking away with a dark blush.

“Magnus?”

Magnus is tense, even though he knows how soft and caring Alec is. A glance to the mirror on his left shows him every ugly, discolored bruise on his body. There are several darkened bluish-purple bruises from his fights in Edom, as well as greenish-yellow ones that are on the way to healing. He has a couple of faint scars from his troubles in the Downworld, but unlike Alec, has no trace of hair to cover them up.

For the first time—oddly enough—he’s suddenly self-conscious of himself.

The pads of Alec’s fingers brush across his arms before lifting them away from his chest. He leans down, pressing kisses to his shoulders and collarbones, before coming back up and meeting Magnus’ gaze. He gives a small, chaste kiss to his lips.

“ _You’re beautiful_ ,” Alec confesses in a whisper against his lips.

Magnus’ heart flutters at the simple, yet direct statement and his hands go searching for the hem of Alec’s shirt. He finds it rather quickly, and robs Alec of the offending garment, subjected yet again to Alec’s wide expanse of skin. He holds back a stuttering groan.

“I think the water is warm enough now,” Magnus whispers, trailing his fingers down Alec’s torso, across his pecks and abdominal muscles. He can feel Alec’s uneven breaths and the muscles twitching underneath his touch in desire.

Alec gives a rushed nod, and they’re both soon stepping out of their pants and underwear and stepping into the warm water inside the glass shower. Alec lets Magnus stand in the water first, his deep groan resonating off the tiles as the water dances across his skin. Alec’s eyes follow the water droplets that ripple down his toned, muscled back.

_How did he get this lucky?_

“Are you just going to stand there with your mouth open, or do you want to enjoy this shower with me?” Magnus teases playfully, glancing over his shoulder as he winds his hands softly through his hair, the water slicking it back gently.

Alec gulps and presses forward, closer to Magnus. He’s trying to will his erratic heartbeat to calm as he steps under the flow of water with Magnus. He can see there are quite a few more bruises and scrapes on Magnus’ back, including a nasty cut that looks deeper than the others. He lifts his hands, fingertips brushing lightly across the muscles and bruises across his back.

Magnus gasps in front of him as Alec presses his lips to each and every bruise he finds on his body. They’re all soft and gentle, much like the kisses to his wrist scar a few weeks before. The actions leave Magnus breathless for the millionth time that day. He lets out a whimpering gasp of Alec’s name when Alec presses an open mouthed kiss to the small of his back. The muscles in his back tense and suddenly he feels much hotter than the water coming from the shower. His body shakes, wound up by Alec’s actions. His mind still tries the fight to act on his feelings for the man behind him, but when Alec’s skillful fingers brush the inside of his thighs, dangerously close to his growing erection, the will to resist snaps like an overly-stretched rubber band.

He dare say he wasn’t expecting Magnus to suddenly turn around and press him against the shower wall. The cold tiles hit his back, decorating his body in goosebumps. But he’s not cold, quite the opposite actually.

Alec bites his lip, wordlessly trailing his eyes down Magnus’ torso. Magnus may have said that he looked good shirtless, but honestly Alec feels like he has nothing on how gorgeous Magnus’ body is. Regardless of the bruises and cuts, Magnus is _ripped_. His pectorals are pronounced and _the abs on this man_ …

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Alec hasn’t stopped thinking about them since his first visit to Magnus’ home.

His eyes trail lower, where the v of Magnus’ hips meets the base of his cock. The base has dark curls of hair, but that’s not what Alec’s brain focuses on.

Magnus’ cock is _big_.

He can only imagine how full it would make him feel.

Alec resists a broken moan as he lifts his gaze back up to Magnus’ face, which houses that classic, knowing smirk.

“See something you like?”

He can’t even feel embarrassed with himself as he nods wordlessly, panting as his hands find Magnus chest, dancing across the firm muscle.

“Godfuck— _Magnus_ ,” he moans out without Magnus even touching him. “ _Please._ ”

His pleading only lights the fire in Magnus’ gut. He slams himself against Alec, hands suddenly everywhere, trying to find every piece of unexplored skin he hasn’t been able to touch until this point. His kisses are messy and heated, full of tongue and teeth. It has Alec _writhing_ between him and the tiles, and it only influences him further to continue his ministrations.

Alec mewls against the sudden assertiveness Magnus has, which seems almost like a direct antithesis of how he acted in the days prior. Alec wants to counter with the same kind of ferocity, but in the back of his mind, he’s aware that Magnus is still injured. He doesn’t want to push too much and—

“Ah!” Alec yelps as Magnus wordlessly wraps his hands under his thighs and ass and surges him upward, lifting him from the floor and pushing him against the tiles once again. Alec instinctively wraps his ankles around Magnus’ waist, but he doesn’t press him closer. He feels the grip on his ass increase a bit.

“ _Alexander,_ ” Magnus pants out in a husky tone that sends more shivers up his spine. “I’m not going to break; you can put your hands on me.” His face comes back into view, hot breath pressing against Alec’s damp skin with every pant. “ _Touch me, Alexander.”_

He doesn’t have to be told twice.

The pressure on his back from Alec’s ankles increases, pulling him forward and encouraging Magnus to proceed with his previous antics. Magnus’ lips latch to the base of Alec’s neck, biting and nipping gently at the skin there. Alec’s hands scramble over his body at the action, and his mewling moans only increase as their cocks brush together between them. He ruts his hips against Magnus, desperate for more friction.

The increased movement from Alec’s eagerness have them both a groaning mess.

Alec pants out, moaning Magnus’ name again as they grind together, and he honestly can’t think it can get any better because Magnus’ hands are everywhere and his mouth is marking his neck and shoulders with hickeys and soft bites, and his cock is—

A slick finger glides against his rim, and Alec practically arches off the tile at the action. He’s so wound up by Magnus’ antics that he didn’t even notice him lubing up his fingers.

“ _Can I_?” Magnus whispers out, breath hot against the shell of his ear. His voice is deep and absolutely _sinful._

 _“Please,_ ” Alec pleads out impatiently. Embarrassingly enough, he’s wanted this for so long, ever since he imagined it for the first time jerking off in the shower a month or so prior.

It’s a million times better with Magnus actually here, Alec decides.

He’s ripped from his thoughts again as Magnus’ finger breaches him slowly, prodding at his insides and starting to stretch him. The feeling is foreign, since he hasn’t been fingered in ages, but it’s far from unwelcomed. He groans again, hips stuttering from their rhythm as Magnus pumps his finger in and out of Alec’s hole.

“ _Magnus,_ ” he moans out rather loudly, throwing his head back against the cold tiles. His hands find purchase on Magnus’ back, pressing into him and lightly grazing his nails against the skin.

Magnus only takes it as incentive to add another finger, scissoring Alec open and making his moans go higher in pitch. The sounds he’s able to coax out of Alec are astonishing to him, and his mind is just searching for more and more ways to uncover what other sounds he can get out of Alec.

He adds a third finger not too much later, crooning them at different angles with shallow and deep strokes until Alec is fidgeting against him impatiently. He’s about to give up searching when he hits it.

“ _AH—Magnhhh_ —!” Alec practically screams out as Magnus hits his prostate dead on. The sound sends goosebumps up Magnus’s spine, encouraging him further as he continues to push his fingers into Alec. His head is swimming with emotion, overcome with Alec’s ministrations. He’s going to lose his composure any minute.

Alec beats him to it after a few more strikes to his prostate. His body trembles before he falls over the edge, his orgasm ripping through him as his hold on Magnus tightens. His head falls back against the tile, moaning all high pitched and loud as his cum spurts between the two of them. Magnus only hopes the officers on his porch don’t think he’s killing Alec. He may be dying from bliss, but that’s about it.

Magnus moans as Alec comes down from his high, his hands wrapping around his dick and bringing Magnus to his climax. With a broken and crackling moan, he releases himself against Alec. He retracts his fingers from Alec’s tight heat and places his feet back down on the tile flooring. They’re both panting from all the exertion and when Magnus steps back more into the spray of water, Alec laughs breathlessly.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” he admits breathlessly as he watches Magnus rinse off the remnants of their activities moments ago. 

Magnus gives him a soft smile as his fingers wrap gently around Alec’s bringing him into the spray of the water. “ _Me too,_ ” he admits softly. Alec’s heart somersaults again.

The rest of their shower is relatively tame. They wash each other’s hair and backs, and honestly Magnus can’t explain how much he loves Alec’s soft touches and caresses in his hair as he lathers the shampoo on his scalp. After what feels like years under the water, they emerge from the shower, both wearing post-sex, blissful looks. They slip on a pair of boxers and sweatpants before settling under the deep blue sheets of the bed.

Ever since the first morning they woke up together, Magnus has banned the idea of the pillow wall again. He finds it much more comforting being slotted against Alec’s warm body and gentle touches. They snuggle close together under the sheets, taking in each other’s soothing presence. Magnus buries his face into the crook of Alec’s neck, softly slipping into a dreamless sleep.

It takes Alec a little while longer to fall asleep, his brain in post-coital bliss as he thinks back to his first encounter with Magnus and how he couldn’t have imagined that this could’ve played out the way it did. He angles his head down, breathing in the sandalwood of Magnus’ shampoo from earlier and sighs happily.

For the first time in forever, he’s surrounded by warmth. His heart is on fire, and he’s consumed by the burning sensation that flows through his veins. With Magnus, the cold fear of jeopardizing the case and the looming threat of the serial killer are miles away. With Magnus, there is hope, warmth, and comfort. In his thirty years of life, he never thought he could have something like this.

But now, now Alec doesn’t think he could ever live without it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not one, but TWO smut scenes  
> my ace ass has no idea how to write smut, but i tried my best
> 
> Next chapter will get back to more plot stuff, including small introductions of who our serial killer is as well as building the case to prove Magnus didn't kill anyone before the official trial!
> 
> As always, you can come find me on [ tumblr](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/) and [ twitter!](https://twitter.com/the_biconic_mb/media) I'll be tracking the tag #TtSfic on there as well :)


	17. Chapter 17 (Part I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With only two weeks to go, some important details come to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ITS BEEN OVER A MONTH I'M SO SORRY
> 
> i have had the writers block from HELL for pretty much all of january, and uni started back up, so my writing time has been severely cut back RIP
> 
> so here's chapter 17, which has been in the works for far too long. There's actually 2 parts to this chapter, and I had to split it just because it covers SO MUCH.  
> (if i had left it one chapter, we would've been looking at like 20k+ (and this first part is just over 13k WHOOPS))
> 
> this is part one! I hope to finish part two very soon!  
>  **Trigger Warnings:**  
>  PTSD and panic attacks on Magnus' end, as well as referenced child abuse. Graphic depictions of violence are also prevalent in this chapter

He wakes up in a cold sweat.

The dark is disorienting, and for a moment, Alec can’t place where he is. However, a small tug at the dark silk sheets around his bare waist make it clear exactly where he is.

_Magnus’._

Alec takes in a deep breath, forcing himself to calm back down, to will whatever demons that appeared in his dreams away. He’s just about to slip back into exhaustion when he hears mumbling behind him.

“ _N-No…please—!”_

Magnus’ pleads cut straight into him like a knife. He turns quickly—almost too quickly—towards Magnus, who is still sleeping. However, his body jolts in vicious shakes and uneven breaths. His trembling hands grip at the sheets, pulling with a force of desperation.

He’s having a nightmare.

Alec’s hands are soon cradling his shoulders, shaking Magnus lightly in hopes of rousing him from his cursed dreams. He doesn’t relent, so Alec shakes him a bit more.

“Magnus,” he calls out softly, yet sternly. “Magnus, wake up.”

One hand moves upward, caressing the curve of his neck.

“Magnus—”

With another slight shake, Magnus’ eyes suddenly open, blown wide in fear. His body moves so quickly that Alec can hardly counter. Magnus pushes Alec back with a sudden force, his hands grabbing onto Alec quickly as he pins him back to the bed. However, this time it’s not in intimacy.

It’s in rage.

Magnus’ grip surrounds Alec’s neck, pinning him back. The pressure increases, and Alec panics. His hands scramble to find something, to do _something_ to get Magnus off of him.

“M-Magnus—!” he chokes out in desperation. His hands failed to find anything, so he hopes that a touch will work. He reaches a hand out, touching Magnus’ bicep. “Magnus, s-stop.”

The soft touch against Magnus’ bicep seems to jolt him out of his fear-stricken stupor. His eyes are wide, but where was once anger has now been replaced with horror and fear. Magnus’ grip slips from Alec’s neck as he peels back suddenly, turning and planting himself at the edge of the bed with his back to Alec. He rubs his hands across his face, eventually coming up to tug at the strands of his hair lightly, muttering curses to himself.

Alec sits up as soon as Magnus turns away from him. He doesn’t rush over immediately, as it would just make him more uneasy. He shifts towards Magnus after a minute, placing his hand on Magnus’ shoulder.

“ _Magnus,_ ” he says gingerly, softly enough so that it’s barely above a whisper. “ _Magnus, talk to me._ ”

Magnus’ hands stop filing through his hair, soon dropping to his lap as he exhales a heavy sigh. His brows furrow, trying to will away a pain that remains in his chest. “ _I’m sorry,_ ” he apologizes.

“Nightmare?”

“Yeah,” Magnus confirms a bit breathlessly. He still fails to meet Alec’s gaze. “They always are.”

Alec’s hand moves slowly from his shoulder to the wide expanse of his back, down the center to the small of his back, and then up again in a calming, gentle motion.

For once, Alec says nothing, instead calling on his actions to say all of the things he knows he would fail at speaking. He nudges his nose against the back of Magnus’ neck in comfort, soon planting a kiss at the base, continuing to drag his fingertips up and down Magnus’ spine. It’s absolutely quiet between them and the entire house, with the winter night air silently blowing outside. There are no sounds except the small sounds of lips against Magnus’ skin, the trail of his fingers, and the sighs of his lover amidst his irregular breathing.

It always seems like Alec knows how to comfort him most. The wordless touches and gentle kisses do everything to calm him down, to know that he is safe and protected, to know that no matter what demons will come, Alec will always be there to fight them off.

When his breathing is somewhat normal again, Magnus speaks up. “What time is it?”

There’s a gentle hum before Alec pulls away, the warmth of his lips and breath leaving Magnus suddenly shivering against the cold.

“3:45,” Alec states with a bit of a groggy voice. He turns back to Magnus, and for the first time since they woke up, they meet each other’s eyes. Alec looks beyond tired, but his hazel eyes are decorated with every feature of concern and worry that Magnus knows. He lifts a hand to Alec’s scruffy jawline, brushing against the hairs absentmindedly.

“ _Thank you, Alexander,_ ” he whispers, shifting to Alec so that he faces him. “ _What you do, this it’s—_ ” he takes a breath, the corners of his lips quirking up into a small smile, “ _it’s more than I could ever ask for._ ”

Alec gives him a silent smile amidst a bleary-eyed look. He leans forward, meeting Magnus in another soft, chaste kiss. Parting, they settle back down under the sheets. Alec slides his arms around Magnus’ waist and enveloping him in his warmth, breathing in the peaceful air amongst the cold, wintry night.

 

~~~~

 

It’s absolute hell in the precinct.

He’s barely gotten two feet past the entryway, and people are scrambling around like chickens without heads. It’s a direct antithesis of the usual relaxed atmosphere. Alec feels a bit of whiplash at how much changed after one night.

“Alec!” Izzy calls out, running up to him. She looks flawless as always, but it’s obvious that she’s also been running around scrambling.

“What’s going on?” He asks, surveying the area. “Is there another case we have—?”

“No, Alec,” Izzy interrupts, taking a file out of her vanilla folder and handing it to Alec, “we got word from the court today. They’ve come to a consensus for the date of Magnus’ official trial.”

Alec’s heart drops, fear settling in the base of his stomach.

“A-Already?”

Izzy wears a serious look, but he notes the sad glaze to her eyes as she directs her attention to the folder in his hands. “They’re quick on this one only because people are starting to get antsy. The Downworlder tensions are getting worse, and people in the court office are adamant about Magnus being a threat.”

Alec opens up the folder, studying its contents. “How long?”

“Two weeks. We have until then to get as much information as possible for Magnus’ trial to go smoothly.”

Alec’s brows furrow as he steps to the side. “Even if we have the evidence that ties the bodies of his case to Aline’s?” He whispers.

Izzy frowns. “Even if we do have that, there will still be questions geared toward him that may try to incriminate him. Even if the murders are cleared, if we’re not thorough, Magnus could go back to prison for a different reason.”

Alec takes a deep breath. She’s right about that. Even though he could easily be proven innocent against his allegations of murder, he wouldn’t put it past Malachi to try something to make sure Magnus goes back into prison.

“Right,” Alec confirms with a nod. “So we’ll start looking into some of Magnus’ other affairs to get everything settled before the trial.”

Izzy nods in confirmation, but stops Alec when he tries to slide past her. “Oh, Alec, wait!” She looks up at him with her dark lined eyes. “I know that you just came from Magnus’, but I wanted to give you a bit of warning.” She steps forward, sending a cautious glance over her shoulder. “We got word from Internal Affairs yesterday saying they’d be paying us a visit within the next couple of days. So if Luke starts taking you off of watch shifts, that’s why.”

Alec quirks a brow. “Internal Affairs? What for?”

She swallows thickly. “After the trial, Luke got a call saying they’re going to send down an ambassador to make sure that the situation involving Magnus’ house arrest doesn’t happen again.” She studies her gaze back to Alec. “Which means they’ll probably crack down on Magnus to make sure another escape doesn’t happen.”

Alec frowns. It’s understandable that Internal Affairs wants to ensure proper security, since they took a large blow from the press about it when word got out. But at the same time, he knows that trying to put his case together will be that much more difficult with them breathing down his neck at every turn. With so much as an extended glance or brief touch with Magnus, he could be fired.

Or worse, he could be condemned of being too close to the case and taken off it completely. Then Magnus would be stuck with some obtuse lawyer who doesn’t know the case at all and—

“Lightwood!” Luke’s rumbling voice echoes out, jarring him from his thoughts. Luke stands in the doorway of his office, gesturing to the room silently as he walks back in the doorway. Alec steps away from Izzy with a distressed look before turning towards Luke’s office.

“You needed to see me, sir?”

“Yes, please close the door.”

Alec closes the door behind him as Luke goes to shut the blinds to his office. “Take a seat, Alec,” Luke offers as he winds back around his desk before sitting in the chair. He takes in Alec’s tense form. “I’m sure you’ve heard from Isabelle about the updates to your case?”

Alec nods hesitantly, suddenly feeling smaller.

“So when I say that I’m limiting your night shifts, don’t take it the wrong way,” Luke begins. “It’s just I know how Internal Affairs can be, and they’d love to make you a walking scandal if at all possible.” Alec ducks shyly as Luke crosses his arms. “I’m here to ensure that doesn’t happen. Besides, we could use your quick wits here during the morning shifts here.” He leans back in his chair slightly. “Once this all blows over, I’ll let you back on the night shifts and you and Magnus can go back to your domestic lives.”

Alec stills. “Y-You know?” He questions, a sudden fear prickling at the base of his spine.

He shrugs. “I’ve assumed,” he states plainly, glancing at Alec’s stiff posture. “And from what you’ve just told me, it seems I’m correct in the matter.”

“I—”

Luke holds up a hand, silencing Alec. “I’ve known for a long time that you mean something to Magnus, Alec,” he starts. “Anyone with eyes could probably see that. Besides, I know Magnus quite well, and that look he gave you the first time in court, I knew.” He cracks a small smile. “Thus, why I knew I could trust you with the night shifts.”

Alec feels the warmth in his cheeks spread slightly as he looks down at his lap, suddenly self-conscious. “T-Thank you, sir.”

Luke shakes his head. “You don’t need to call me ‘sir’, Alec. Just because IA is coming down on us, doesn’t mean I’m blaming you for anything. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. I should’ve seen Magnus’ breach long before it happened, but I didn’t and here we are.” He offers a kind smile to Alec. “Relax.”

Alec lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “S-Sorry,” he apologizes. He lifts his gaze from his knees to Luke’s. “If you don’t mind me asking, do you know who the ambassador from Internal Affairs will be?”

Luke tenses before letting out an aggravated groan. “Unfortunately.” He pauses enough for Alec to quirk a questioning brow. “Her name is Cleophas…” he trails, “and she is my sister.”

Alec’s eyes widen. “Your sister is part of Internal Affairs?”

Luke nods. “Our family practically lives and breathes this line of work. Though my siblings have gone for more…corporate leveled jobs, we’ve all stayed within this line of work.” He frowns slightly. “But Cleophas has always been a bit of a…” he rolls his eyes, “a bit of a pain when it comes to her job. She takes this very seriously, and if there’s something that isn’t up to code, she’ll give us hell for it.”

 _Yeesh,_ Alec winces. “She sounds a bit like my mother,” Alec jokes halfheartedly, earning a snort of laughter from Luke.

He cracks a fraction of a smile. “That she does. I guarantee they’d be at each other’s throats about everything,” he chuckles at the thought, and it soon builds into a deep, hearty laughter that Alec can’t help but join in with. Soon the both of them have forgotten the seriousness of the matter at hand, and instead have slipped into a sort of softened, humorous mood.

But with their line of work, it’s no surprise that the mood doesn’t last.

Alaric opens the door to Luke’s office, dissipating the laughter between the two. He quirks a brow as Alec sits up a bit straighter, suddenly finding a loose strand on his shirt interesting. Alaric shakes his head. “Luke, you’ve got a call for you on line 2,” he states plainly. “And Alec, Raj will be off of the afternoon rotation in a couple of hours. You’ll be watching the house after him.”

Alec nods as Alaric shuts the door. He turns his attention back to Luke. “Right, so—”

Luke nods wordlessly as he looks to the phone on his desk. “This will be one of your last night shifts before Cleophas gets here. Knowing the timing, this call is probably her now.” Alec rises from his seat. “Before I forget, you should probably update Magnus on this too so if he has to come in for questioning he doesn’t give us too much trouble.”

Luke wears a teasing grin. “Don’t worry, Luke,” Alec assures, “I’ll inform him as soon as I finish this paperwork and get back home.”

Alec curses in the back of his mind. _Home._ He accidentally called Magnus’ place home. But strangely enough, Luke doesn’t wear a condemning look.

Quite the opposite, actually.

Luke’s hand goes to pick up the phone. “Right, you’re dismissed,” Luke says before picking up the phone and pressing it to his ear. “Captain Garroway,” he greets with a serious tone to his voice, queuing Alec to take his leave. As he turns, he can hear Luke’s teasing tone ring in his ears:

“Have a good night, Alec.”

 

~~~~

 

A few hours later, after the horrors of paperwork and pushy co-workers, Alec walks through the doorway of Magnus’ home.

“Magnus?”

“In here!” Magnus calls out, his voice echoing from down the hall. Alec strides down the hall until he reaches the open door of the apothecary.

Alec hasn’t seen the room since the break in, and he’s surprised to see how much it’s changed. The disorderly chaos has disappeared; the broken glass has been cleared out and the toppled and tousled shelves have been raised and properly secured. Though the window hasn’t fully been replaced, black metal bars overlay the window, preventing any chance of escape. Magnus stands over the beautifully crafted mahogany desk, writing down on some of the various papers scattered across its surface before he turns to a cupboard for another labeled, glass vial.

“Inventory?” Alec asks as he picks up one of the glass jars on the desk and shakes it lightly.

Magnus turns back to face him, a quick, small smile crossing his face. “Observant as ever, my dear,” he says, scribbling down a couple more things before maneuvering around the desk towards Alec. He presses a small, chaste kiss against his lips. “How was work?”

Alec smiles down at him, his thumbs brushing against the soft skin of Magnus’ neck. His smile falters a moment later, and Magnus’ perceptive eyes immediately pick up on it.

“We got word from the court today.”

Magnus tenses under his touch, uncertainty suddenly washing over his features. “A-And?”

“We have two weeks before the official trial,” Alec reports, “so work is going to be hectic and…” He presses his lips into a thin line with a sigh, “Luke is taking me off from the night shifts for a little while.”

Magnus frowns. “Why?”

“An ambassador from Internal Affairs is coming within the next two days to make sure what happened in October doesn’t happen again.”

Magnus scoffs, rolling his eyes a bit. “You know I won’t try that again. Another stunt like that…” he trails, “I’d be back in Edom for sure.”

“I know, and Luke knows that too,” Alec states. “But Internal Affairs doesn’t. They still think you’re guilty, and they will until we prove otherwise.”

Magnus lets out a heavy sigh. “So, no night shifts?” Alec shakes his head. Magnus’ eyes trail back up to meet Alec’s. “Does that mean Luke knows we…?” He gestures between them.

Alec chuckles slightly, a smirk tugging the corner of his lips up. “You forget that Luke has known you for a long time. I’m pretty sure he’s known since the failure of the first trial that sent you to prison.”

“And he hasn’t reported us?” Magnus questions. “Isn’t that breaking some kind of code?”

Alec shrugs. “We haven’t really done anything outside this house, have we?” Magnus shakes his head. “He can’t report anything he hasn’t seen.”

Magnus chuckles, pulling Alec a bit closer so that the scent of sandalwood permeates throughout his lungs. “You like running on a dangerous line, don’t you, Alexander?”

Alec’s hands find Magnus’ hips. “It wouldn’t be any fun otherwise.”

Magnus chuckles lowly again, pulling Alec closer before sealing their lips together. Unlike their brief kiss before, it’s hot and enveloping, and the way Magnus’ ringed fingers wind through his dark hair sends shivers up and down his body. Alec pushes forward, making Magnus bump into the edge of the desk. Magnus groans a bit, pushing away some of the stuff absentmindedly as Alec picks him up, sitting him onto the edge of the desk. He presses forward, kissing adamantly and drinking in everything that Magnus is. It’s the subtle nudge of Magnus’ heel around the small of his back that pushes him closer, allowing the both of them to revel in the friction of their hard-ons between them.

Magnus moans against Alec’s mouth at the action, his hands fixating at the collar of Alec’s polo shirt and undoing the first couple of buttons, revealing the small dust of chest hair underneath the fabric. His hands are instantly pressing to Alec’s hot skin, anywhere and everywhere he can reach. He’s breathless with Alec’s kisses, and has to restrain a loud moan the minute Alec presses a kiss to the underside of his jaw. He yelps out in surprise the moment Alec’s lips graze his ear, taking in the lobe gently and pressing the flat of his tongue against it, delivering hot and heavy attention to it.

His toes curl and he can’t restrain the moan as he arches into the touch. Alec’s hot breathing echoes in his ears and the warm sensation of his tongue prodding while kissing and sucking at his ear has him suddenly on edge.

“ _A-Alec—_!” Magnus groans out as he juts his hips forward to meet Alec’s, taking in as much glorious friction as he can. He mewls again as Alec’s fingers fumble with the belt around his waist. He arches closer to Alec eagerly. “ _Fuck, please, Alexander_ ,” he begs, “ _please I need you._ ”

His moaning pleas only encourage Alec’s actions as he fumbles a bit faster with his belt, eventually dragging it through the loops of Magnus’ jeans and throwing it haphazardly behind him somewhere.  He starts unbuttoning Magnus’ tight pants, pushing down the offending fabric and leaving just the black material of his boxer briefs.

“ _H-How—”_ Alec pants out, “ _how do you want me?_ ”

Magnus throws back his head, eyes squeezed shut while biting his lip when Alec’s hands ghost over his obvious erection.

“ _I need—g-god anything just_ —!” He whines out, unable to form a coherent thought. “ _Fuck me with your fingers for all I care,_ ” he confesses.

Alec groans out, his brows furrowing together as he plasters himself against Magnus, pressing another hot, enveloping kiss to his lips. “ _Turn around,_ ” Alec mutters against his lips, tone dark and breath hot.

Magnus nods a bit excessively as he turns, his breathing erratic. He plants his palms on the edge of the desk, right where his ass used to be. He can feel Alec’s calloused fingers brushing down the silk material of his shirt, and how the material clings to his sweaty body. He gasps as Alec’s fingers eventually find the waistband of his boxer-briefs, practically sobbing as he lowers them teasingly, his touch light against the curvature of his ass.

“ _Alexander,_ ” Magnus moans again, “ _don’t tease me._ ”

Alec chuckles lowly against Magnus’ ear, giving a soft bite against the lobe, earning another gasp from Magnus. “ _Would you rather get down to business, darling?_ ” He coos. Magnus moans again as he ruts his hips back against Alec. He takes it as enough incentive to continue his ministrations. He reaches into his back pocket, tearing open a small packet of lube and coating his fingers in it.

Magnus groans when he feels the first breach of Alec’s finger against his hole. The touch is reserved and careful, prodding in further silently as he takes in Alec’s long fingers. Alec presses several open-mouthed kisses against his neck, distracting him from any pain the intrusion causes. Soon, Alec adds another finger, scissoring him open before adding one more, thrusting into Magnus at a steady pace.

Needless to say, he’s been reduced to a moaning mess.

His legs are shaking, knees threatening to buckle underneath him as Alec pounds his fingers into Magnus. He rocks forward, the pressure of his grip on the desk sending it forward slightly with every thrust. Night has fallen already, but Magnus can’t help but feel a bit of rush knowing that anyone could hear them from the window that has yet to be fixed.

He’s shaken from his thoughts when Alec’s other hand comes to wrap around his aching cock, his skillful fingers rubbing him in all the right ways, pushing him to the edge far too quickly than he’s used to. Alec’s ministrations have reduced him to varying _ah’s_ and _Alec_ ’s, rendering him completely useless of any type of coherent speech pattern. Alec doesn’t seem to be able to form full sentences either, but he’s too driven by lust to even care.

“ _Fuck, Magnus, you’re so hot,_ ” Alec groans out. “ _Look at you, taking my fingers so nicely. You’re so good._ ”

Magnus preens at his words, rutting forward as Alec gives a particularly rough stroke of his cock. “ _F-Fuck, Alec, I’m close_!” Magnus whines out as Alec pounds into him with his fingers again, brushing against his prostate and causing Magnus to practically scream in pleasure.

“ _Cum for me._ ”

It’s a simple command delivered in a gravelly, wrecked tone, and it’s enough incentive to send Magnus barreling off the edge, spilling himself across Alec’s hand and his silk shirt. Alec continues to stroke him, milking him for everything he has before he eventually slows down, his harsh strokes subsiding as his hands slide to his hips, giving a comforting stroke as he pulls his fingers out of Magnus.

Sated, Magnus tries not to totally collapse against the desk. His breathing is still rather erratic and he can feel his hair and his shirt sticking to him thanks to all the sweat. He glances behind him to see Alec looks just as debauched as he does. His erection is still prominent, hair disheveled with his uniform tousled and wrinkled from their activities. Magnus huffs out a slight laugh.

“ _Should we continue this in the shower_?” He asks, eyes flitting back down to Alec’s erection. “ _After all, I wouldn’t want to be too…hard on you.”_

Alec snorts slightly at his poor excuse of a joke. His amber eyes fail to lose their lustful hue, however. He gives a swipe of his lips quickly with his tongue before nodding.

It’s all Magnus can do not to smile too wide as he tucks himself back into his underwear before taking Alec’s hand and leading him across the hall to continue their activities.

 

~~~~

 

The annoying chirp of his phone is what wakes him up.

It starts out as something he could ignore, but after another minute of its incessant ringing, Alec can’t take it anymore.

He groans, lifting his head from of the red satin pillows and slowly opening an eye to find his phone. He reaches to the end table blindly before his hand finds his phone. He doesn’t even look at the caller ID before swiping to accept the call.

“Hello?” He greets, sleep wracking his voice.

“Hello, yes, this is Alexander Lightwood, correct?” A stony female voice asks.

Alec’s brows crease together as he brushes a hand against his beard. “Yes, this is he,” he replies, maneuvering to sit up. The action stirs Magnus awake, wearing a bleary-eyed look. He looks absolutely perfect, his bronze skin glowing in the morning light, highlighting the hickeys and marks across his chest and collarbones. His hair is mused and messy from Alec’s fingers running through it and he can’t help but raise his free hand to run his fingers through the messy strands yet again. Magnus gives a hum of contentment.

“My name is Cleophas Garroway, and I was informed that you are the current defense attorney for Mr. Bane.”

Alec practically jolts at the name, suddenly stiff and slipping away from Magnus, his brows furrowing together a bit in confusion at Alec’s actions. He slips off the bed, standing up fully before turning around and mouthing the words ‘work’ to him. “Ah, yes, I am.”

“Good,” she states plainly. “I also understand that you were part of the old Manhattan precinct with your parents. They’ve spoken highly of you, Mr. Lightwood, and for obvious reasons. I’ve seen your work on the Manhattan precinct, and the Brooklyn precinct is lucky to have you for this case.”

Alec stills his pacing. _His parents have spoken **highly** of him?_ That can’t be right…

“In any case, I’d like to see both you and your client in the precinct today, we have urgent matters to discuss in terms of the impending trial and your client’s living situation.”

He nods at the information. “Of course. I’ll pick him up and we’ll be there within the next hour and a half.”

There’s a damp pause. “Thank you, Mr. Lightwood. I look forward to seeing you. Good day.”

“Good day,” he repeats, the call dropping a moment later. He sighs deeply, running a hand over his tired face before he turns, facing Magnus. He’s come up to a sitting position in the bed, the crimson sheets pooling around his waist. He still looks tired and groggy, but the worried look he wears makes Alec’s heart flutter.

“Who was that?” Magnus asks, tone scratchy and deep.

He walks back over towards the bed. “That was the ambassador of Internal Affairs,” he begins. “She wants the both of us in the precinct in the next hour or so for questioning.”

Magnus’ uncertain look grows a bit more. “Oh…” he stammers out, gaze falling to his lap. His fingertips brush over his Agony scar distractedly. “What for?”

“For the impending trial,” Alec shrugs. “She probably just wants to make sure we have all our bases covered before going to court.”

Magnus nods, soaking in the words. However, he still wears the same distant look.

“ _Hey,_ ” Alec calls softly, sitting down in front of Magnus, “ _look at me._ ”

Magnus’ deep brown eyes meet his.

“ _I won’t let them hurt you. We’re going to get through this, I promise you,_ ” Alec says, leaning forward to press a soft kiss against Magnus’ lips. It’s a kiss to remind him that Alec will always be there. He’s seen the worst, and he’s stayed all through it. He hopes that the kiss conveys that to him.

When they part, Magnus’ uncertain look has calmed, a soft smile passing over his face.  There’s a humorous glint to his eyes as they pass over Alec’s torso, which is probably riddled with marks from their earlier escapades. He smirks. “You’ve got a few hickeys there,” he jokes.

Alec chuckles lowly, pressing another kiss to Magnus’ lips. “Gosh, I wonder whose fault that is,” he retorts, sliding off the bed and turning towards the closet. He picks out a plain charcoal-grey crew neck t-shirt and his classic black cargo pants. He walks over to sit on the foot of the bed before leaning down to tie his shoes.

He feels the bed lift slightly as Magnus waltzes past him, giving him a full view of the expanse of his back and a peek on the muscles that lie underneath the fabric of his shirt. He wanders over to the same closet before plucking out a silk shirt and some nice slacks.

Pulling a firm tug at the laces of his boots, Alec stands fully. “I’ll go make us some coffee, okay?”

Magnus only hums as Alec turns with a smile on his face to go make them coffee. As he steps into the kitchen, he revels in the domesticity of the entire situation. For once, he’s content, and with the trial quickly approaching, he hopes that their win will ensure that this will be something he can wake up to for many mornings to come.

 

~~~~

 

After their morning coffee—and pancakes made by Magnus—Alec finds himself stationed on the couch in Magnus’ living room, with Magnus’ gentle fingers prodding at his neck.

“Remind me why we’re doing this again?” He asks with a slight pout.

Magnus chuckles, taking a bit of the pale cream on his fingers and pressing it lightly against Alec’s neck. “ _Because_ ,” he emphasizes, “I wouldn’t want you to get chewed out by the ambassador for having hickeys all over your neck.”

Alec rolls his eyes. “They aren’t _that_ obvious.”

“Maybe not, but you don’t want to risk it,” he quips, spreading the concealer around one of the hickeys barely hidden by Alec’s shirt. “God knows, if she’s anything like your mother, you’d be fired on the spot.”

He snorts at Magnus’ comment, but doesn’t say anything else until Magnus is done applying concealer. Luckily for Magnus, he has plenty of shirts with collars that hide any evidence of whatever hickeys Alec placed on his neck, so he doesn’t have to worry about the problem Alec is facing.

With a quick peck on the lips, Magnus pulls away from him, capping the concealer. “I’ll go put this back, and then I’ll be ready,” he states before turning back towards the bedroom to put the makeup away. Alec stands from the couch, walking over towards the door and clasping his police belt on and shrugging on his NYPD windbreaker.

It’s a couple of moments of silence until Magnus comes back into the living room.

“Alright,” Magnus sighs, grabbing his cardigan from the back of the couch and slipping it on. “I’m ready to go.”

Alec smiles at him, but it fades when Magnus takes a few strides forward. He puts a hand out in front of him. “Magnus, wait.”

Magnus stills. “What?”

“You know I can’t take you out of the house unless your properly restrained, right?”

Magnus blinks, before a disheartened look passes over his glittered features. He looks down to his feet. “Right…I forgot about that.”

Alec frowns, reaching back on his belt. He takes the handcuffs off of it, looking at Magnus with regretful look. “I’m sorry, Magnus, but it’s protocol,” he apologizes.

Magnus shakes his head, lifting it up as he holds out his left wrist to Alec. “It’s fine, darling,” he coos. “Nothing I haven’t experienced before.”

Alec smiles slightly before securing one of the cuffs around Magnus’ wrist. Feeling daring, he suddenly turns Magnus around, pressing him against the wall and securing his other wrist in the cuffs. Alec stills, leaning forward and dropping his voice an octave to whisper in Magnus’ ear.

“Forgive me if I’m wrong,” he smirks, “but you’re the one who talked about how _kinky_ handcuffs could be, weren’t you?”

Magnus gasps at the sudden action, and Alec’s darkened tone sends shivers up his spine. He cries out silently when Alec’s lips kiss the skin just behind his ear, the hot breath and itchy stubble making his knees buckle underneath him.

“ _A-Alec—!_ ” he stammers out. They don’t have the time to do this again, but it doesn’t keep Magnus from trying to press his hips backwards.

Alec tuts, pulling him away from the wall. “ _Later_ ,” he whispers. “ _Even though I’d love to see the look on everyone’s faces the minute they see you’ve been totally debauched._ ”

Magnus bites back a moan, sending a quick glare over his shoulder to Alec. “Ass.”

Alec barks out a laugh before unlocking the front door and directing them towards his cop car.

 

~~~~

 

Unlike the hell of the precinct a couple days prior, today it is almost shockingly orderly, with not a book nor a desk out of place.

It’s never this orderly.

Everyone in the main office space is stationed at their desks, heads buried in whatever paperwork they have. There’s no boisterous behavior, no sense of fellowship or welcoming, just work.

It already feels like the Institute, Alec thinks.

“Mr. Lightwood,” a voice greets, causing Alec to turn. A middle-aged, dark-skinned woman strides across the room towards him, heels clacking against the hard-tiled floor. She looks very similar to Luke, with the determination fixated in her dark eyes. Her dark, curly hair framed around her face contrasts against her all white pantsuit. She gives a brief smile to him, holding out her hand. “I am Cleophas Garroway, we talked on the phone.”

Alec nods, accepting her firm handshake. “A pleasure to meet you, Ambassador Garroway.” He takes a step to the side, revealing Magnus standing behind him. “And of course, this is my client, Magnus Bane.”

Cleophas’s smile immediately vanishes upon seeing Magnus, and her look of contentment is replaced with one of muted disgust. Alec notices her top lip twitch up slightly. “Oh yes, Mr. Bane,” she says rather flatly, her eyes casting a judgmental glare. “Lovely for you to join us.”

Magnus doesn’t smile. “I didn’t realize I was given a choice,” he quips.

Cleophas frowns, brows threading together. She directs her attention back to Alec. “As I said earlier, we need to go over some important details of the case before the trial within the next two weeks.” She looks over to one of the desks. “Officer Rodriguez.”

Alaric is up within a second, standing straight and tall. “Yes ma’am?”

“See to it that Mr. Bane waits in one of the interview rooms,” she begins, looking back to Magnus. “I have a few things to discuss with Mr. Lightwood before we get into questioning. If you would,” she says, gesturing to Magnus, “take him to interview room 2.”

Magnus rolls his eyes as Alaric takes a step forward, with Raj joining him, and both take a hold of Magnus’ shoulders before pushing him in the direction of the interview rooms.

 Cleophas looks back to Alec. “If you be so kind to follow me,” she says, her harsh tone disappearing. “We’ll talk in Lucien’s office.”

Alec nods, wordlessly following her into Luke’s office.

“Lucien.”

Luke turns as Cleophas enters his office. He’s on his cell phone, and raises a finger to give him a minute. “Yes, I’m aware,” he speaks to the call. Alec can’t hear much of the voice on the other line, but Luke’s demeanor hints that the call is less for business and more for pleasure. “Look, I have to get going, but I’ll call you at lunch and we’ll see if we can set anything up. Right. Take care.”

He hangs up the phone with a slight smile before he turns back to Cleophas and Alec, his business-like demeanor returning.

“Sorry about that,” he apologizes. “Should we get started?”

Cleophas nods, stepping behind Alec to close the door to their office. She walks over and shuts the blinds to the windows of the outside of the office, and Alec immediately feels stiff.

“Uh…”

“Please, Alec,” Luke starts, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Sit.”

He sits stiffly. Cleophas comes back into his vision, and he suddenly feels small as a mouse.

“Mr. Lightwood,” Cleophas begins, “I’m just going to ask you a few general questions. Nothing too major, but necessary.” She takes out a notepad. “Where were you the night of October 7th, when your client fled his home?”

“I was over in Manhattan, having drinks with some friends from the firm,” he states plainly. “They wanted to get me out of the house because I was stressing about the impending trial.”

Cleophas nods, jotting down small notes on her paper. “In the days leading up to his escape, did you see any indication of him hinting to leave the premises?”

Alec shakes his head. “No. Though he did express concern over his Downworlder companions, there was never any indication that he wanted to escape.”

“Did he ever joke about it?”

Alec shakes his head.

Cleophas hums, turning to Luke. “Lucien, do you remember who was on patrol that night?”

Luke pulls out a file from the cabinet under his desk. “Well, our officers Rodriguez and—”

The door opens suddenly, causing all three heads to turn to the doorway. A tall blonde man fills the doorway, his dark tortoiseshell glasses contrasting to his bright eyes.

“Luke,” he beckons, “I’m sorry to disturb your meeting, but we found something we need you to see.”

Luke frowns, turning to his sister. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be back in five minutes.” He stands from his chair and crosses to the door. “What do you have for me, Morris?” He asks, closing the door and leaving Alec alone with Cleophas.

Wordlessly, she crosses behind Luke’s desk and looks at the file he was examining, silently writing down the names of who was on patrol that day. After she scribbles them down, she places her pad of paper and pen down gently. Her dark eyes latch onto Alec, and suddenly her business-like demeanor looks all the more intimidating.

“Mr. Lightwood, I realize that this is an important case for your career,” she begins, her tone laced with restrained anger. “However, I feel as though you should be reminded of the weight that this case carries.”

Alec frowns.

“Magnus Bane has been obviously convicted of many crimes in his life. The man himself has been banned from entering an entire country. Mr. Lightwood,” she starts, her brows creasing together, “even if some of these murders are cleared to not be his, he is still a present danger to our society. Despite his claims of having left the Downworld, he has shown multiple instances in which he has collaborated with Downworlders.” She frowns. “We have concerns that Mr. Bane will return to the Downworld if he goes free.”

He almost can’t believe what he’s hearing. “You don’t want me to win this case,” he states under his breath, unbelievingly. He looks up at Cleophas. “You don’t want me to win this case because you’re afraid that my client will go back to a life he deliberately left for a specific reason?”

“Mr. Lightwood—”

“Ambassador Garroway,” he interrupts, “I have spent almost 4 months on this case, and I know of the run ins my client has had with the Downworld. This case requires us to bring about his past, and thus he must make those connections to the life he left behind.” His voice is stern and unwavering. “This case goes to court within the next two weeks, and I have the information I need to win this case. All the details I have collected up until now have come to prove to me that my client is innocent, and that his relationship with the Downworld was in no way malicious.”

“I digress. Mr. Lightwood, Downworlders have always been the same. They are slaves to their impulses, and will always be a threat to our society if—”

Alec stands up suddenly, his full height towering over her. “That’s enough. You have no right to talk about the Downworlders in that regard, especially if you have not seen or interacted with them yourself.”

“I am simply doing my duty to protect the city of Brooklyn from those people.”

“Those people,” he repeats, shaking his head. “You’re only trying to save your own ass because the second my client is deemed an innocent man, the press will be on you about how you tried to sentence him to a life in prison.”

Cleophas’s mouth drops open at his accusation. “I’ll have you know that—!”

The door to Luke’s office opens up again, as an angered Luke steps in and closes the door. “Both of you, sit down,” he orders, done harsh.

Alec feels another chill race up his spine. He’s _never_ seen Luke so pissed. He sits back down in the leather chair as Cleophas takes the other to the left of his. She also stiffens, back arched in perfect posture as her eyes train on his figure.

Luke strides towards his desk, steps hard and heavy as he slaps down a file in front of Alec.

Alec’s brows furrow. “What’s this?”

“Did you know that Magnus has sealed records?”

“ _What_?”

Alec leans forward, grabbing the file in haste. He opens it and sure enough, there are court documents and orders that point to records sealed by the court. Alec gapes. “Under whose authority?”

“Your client’s,” Luke says grimly, folding his arms against his chest.

“H-How did you find these?” Alec asks.

“I didn’t,” Luke replies. “Jason Morris, our records analyst found them. They still pop up on our radar, which means they weren’t destroyed. Did Mr. Bane ever tell you about these files?”

Alec shakes his head silently, still trying to take in everything he’s been told. He feels like the floor is suddenly going to swallow him up. _Magnus has sealed records._ He had just spent the last few minutes standing up for Magnus, saying that he had nothing else to hide. But apparently, he was wrong.

“Excuse me,” he breathes out, rising up from his chair quickly. He rushes out of Luke’s office, across the main room and in the direction of the interview rooms.

He feels sick.

Alec fumbles into the hallway of interview rooms and stops in front of the second one, his shaky hands wrapping around the door handle. He pushes the heavy door open, revealing a rather bored Magnus sitting at the only table in the middle of the windowless room.

Magnus smiles up at him softly. “Thank god, I thought I’d never—”

“What the hell are these, Magnus?” Alec spits out, tossing the file onto the table. Magnus’ brows furrow.

“What do you mean?”

“We found _sealed files,_ Magnus!” He yells out desperately. “Files sealed under _your_ name that suddenly show up the second we think we have the upper hand.” He frowns. “So let me ask again. What the hell are these?”

Magnus’ eyes widen, trailing down to the file in which he suddenly pales at. He licks his lips nervously as he stares down at the files. “A-Alexander—these aren’t—” He cuts himself off, looking away from the table and studying his hands, running his fingers nervously over his scar. “They’re sealed for a reason, Alexander. Please, just…leave them.”

His voice is barely above a whisper, but it does nothing to calm Alec down.  “You know I can’t do that.”

Magnus winces. “Alexander—”

“Magnus, please,” he pleads out, stepping closer towards Magnus. “We need to know.”

He doesn’t get the chance to say anything as the door to the interview room opens again, revealing an irritable and enraged Cleophas. Magnus’ tense form freezes up, and both of them feel small under her angered gaze.

“Magnus Bane,” she barks out, “we have been compliant with your… _erratic_ behaviors for far too long.” Her lips fold down into a deep frown. “We are on a very short timeline before your trial, and if you are insistent on being freed, these files must be unsealed.”

She doesn’t wait for him to retort.

“If you continue to object us on this, I know many people within the court system who can unseal these records and I will report that you were uncooperative in releasing viable information for this case.” She looks to Alec. “I can only imagine the scrutiny Mr. Lightwood would face given the fact his client proves that he is unwilling to fully trust his attorney by keeping important files secret.”

Alec gives her a wide-eyed look.

She’s blatantly threatening Magnus by saying he will take the blame if this falls through.

Magnus’ shoulders slump, and he practically folds over on himself. “I—”

The door slams open, causing an obvious jolt to run through Magnus. Alec can see him visibly shaking now and all he wants to do is reach out and comfort him, knowing that the suddenly hostile environment isn’t good for him.

“Both of you, _OUT_ ,” Luke barks, opening the door wide. Cleophas gives one more harsh glare to Magnus before turning her heel and stomping out. Alec gives a sympathetic look as Magnus’ scared brown eyes meet his. He cuts away the second their gazes meet, staring back to his lap. “Alec, NOW.”

Alec turns away from Magnus, led out from the interview room as Luke slams the door shut.

 

~~~~

 

Needless to say, Luke is fed up with the both of them. He’s practically fuming at them, specifically Cleophas for threatening him, but he does have a few choice words for Alec too.

“Pressuring him will not get him to overturn the information, Alec,” Luke retorts. “He’s always been cooperative with us up until now. If you had given us a little bit longer, we could have avoided this yelling match with him.”

“How do you know that?” Cleophas interrupts, only to get another stern look from Luke. She sinks back into her chair.

He looks at his watch. “We’ll give him about an hour to calm down. The man has been through one of the toughest prisons in New York, and your actions may have brought back memories he didn’t want to relive.” He looks back to Alec. “When this hour is up, one of us will go back and start questions and see if he’ll open up about anything regarding the files.”

“And if not?” Cleophas asks.

“If not, then we’ll see what the courts can do. But for now, we need to build back the trust that we won’t immediately hand him over to the court,” Luke finishes.

Alec nods, continuing to pick at the skin of his nail beds.

“So who will go and interrogate him?”

Alec glances over at Cleophas as she asks her question. “It’s probably best for Luke to—”

“I want Alec to go in and talk with Magnus,” Luke orders, much to Cleophas’s dismay. He looks to his sister. “Out of all of us, Magnus trusts Alec the most, and thus he will be the most likely to tell Alec what he can about the files.” He looks back to Alec, who wears a slight look of surprise. “Are you fine with that?”

“A-Are you sure you want me to? I yelled at him too, he could—”

“Magnus trusts you, Alec,” Luke states, effectively cutting Alec off. “While he served time in Edom, you were the one who was able to calm him down and get information out of him that we couldn’t. I want you to do this.”

Alec gulps, his palms sweaty. He nods, accepting Luke’s decision, but at the same time he doesn’t look forward to it.

_He yelled at Magnus._

_He pressured him when he said he wouldn’t._

For the next hour, he replays his actions on an endless loop, feeling worse and worse with every minute that passes.

 

~~~~

 

He never realized how something as simple as yelling could put him in this stupor.

Suddenly the walls have caved in on him, their windowless structures suffocating all the air from his lungs. The cuffs are cold and dig into his shaking hands.

There’s yelling.

Loud yelling.

The minute the door bangs open, whatever breath was left in his lungs flees. The hair on his arms stands up. He doesn’t look up from his lap. He knows not to.

Only pain will follow.

With another slam of the door, Magnus expects to look up and see guards ready to take him away. However, he’s alone.

_Where had they gone?_

_Where was he?_

He looks back down to his wrist, tracing this pattern of his scar. Fear shakes him yet again.

They found his sealed files.

The files no one was ever supposed to find.

But _of course_ they’d find them eventually, wouldn’t they? Did he really think that he could escape this part of his past? That with one order the weight of what he had done could be lifted?

_Who could ever love an abomination like you?_

The overly-familiar gruff voice echoes in his ears, against the walls of the windowless room, and in his bones. He towers over Magnus, harsh and demanding. He can feel the oxygen peeling away from the room. There’s a weight in his chest, he struggles to breathe. It’s as if he’s being held underwater—

Magnus opens his eyes, pushing away from the table suddenly before his cuffs bring him back. He yelps out in pain as the cold metal grazes harshly against his skin. His hands are shaking more, desperate to get away from the confining walls and his presence.

_Do you really think you can escape?_

_You will never be able to live without your sin._

The words are louder, and Magnus can’t escape them. His tugging on the cuffs have caused his skin to rub raw, drops of blood splattering silently to the floor. They stain the sleeves of his silk shirt and stand out against the white tile of the floor.

He suddenly feels cold, body shaking and convulsing uncontrollably. He hits his head against the table, begging for the voices to leave him alone.

“S-Stop,” he pleads out breathlessly, “stopstopstopstop...”

The sound of the lock clicking into place is what stirs him out of his drowning thoughts. He suddenly sits up, brushing away any tears or evidence of panic on his face. He tries to calm his shaking body, but his hands continue to tremble and bleed under the table. He bites his lip as the door opens slowly.

It takes a moment to realize that the officer who walks in is Alec. He has to bury away the fear he feels and manage to plaster a half-hearted smile on his face.

From the minute he walks in, however, Alec can tell how incredibly uncomfortable Magnus is.

Though his half-hearted smile may have been able to fool anyone else, it can’t fool Alec. Alec has seen Magnus at his worst and knows exactly when the memories begin to haunt him. He can see that the light in Magnus’ eyes has fizzled out, replaced with a distant and foggy gaze. His shoulders shake lightly, and his hair has been messed up and disheveled. The minute he walks in, he knows Magnus has been struggling.

“ _Hey_ ,” Alec coos softly, shrinking down into Magnus’ distant gaze. “ _It’s just me_.”

Magnus watches as he sits down across from him, giving him a soft nod as he processes his words.

“ _I’m being monitored,_ ” Alec whispers, “ _so I can’t reach out to touch you. But I want you to know I am here._ ” Under the table, there’s a soft brush against his knees.

What’s meant to be a gentle gesture sets Magnus off, pushing back before wincing in pain at the tug of his cuffs against his raw wrists. He tries tugging again.

He has to get out of here _._

“Magnus,” Alec calls out, concern wracking his voice. He’s suddenly moving closer to Magnus, and his eyes catch his bloody wrists fighting the cuffs. “ _Magnus! Magnus, stop_!”

Alec’s concerned, yet stern voice stills him, the touch of his warm hands contrasting the cold embrace of the metal cuffs.

“I’m going to take the cuffs off,” Alec starts. “I’ll need you to keep your hands up on the table, okay?”

Magnus doesn’t meet his gaze, but nods all the same. Soon, there’s a familiar jingle of keys and then the suffocating pressure around his wrists is lifted. He lifts his heavy hands to the table, showing off his torn up wrists.

The surrounding skin has blistered and swollen, pink and puffy, whereas the places he’s relentlessly tugged and thrashed at have cut into his skin. The wounds aren’t too deep, but they’re more than just a simple scrape and cut. The sting of oxygen hitting his open wounds makes him seethe slightly.

“Here,” Alec offers, taking his hands and wrapping a bandage around his cuts. “You can’t tug on the cuffs, Magnus.”

Magnus watches as Alec silently wraps the material around his wrists. “ _I’m sorry,_ ” he whispers out brokenly, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes again.

“ _Hey, none of that._ ” Alec retorts, looking up at him with those bright hazel eyes of his. He gives a small smile. “ _I’m just going to ask you a few things, if that’s alright. Once they’re answered, we’ll get you back home, okay?_ ”

The soft, gentle and warm tones of Alec’s voice start to fight off the horrors that his mind keeps trying to replay over and over.

_Alec is here._

_Alec is fighting._

The familiar mantra fills his mind. Suddenly air seems less heavy, the walls are less suffocating. He watches as Alec finishes wrapping the bandages and settles in at the chair across the table from him. He lets out a deep sigh, turning open a file.

“The files sealed by the court are from almost 30 years ago,” he states plainly. “So you were a minor.” He looks up to Magnus. “Could you explain where you were at that age?”

Magnus’ shoulders slump slightly. He swallows thickly, trying to form the words, but ultimately coming up empty handed.

Alec waits for a few minutes as Magnus tries to gather the words. “According to some other records, you weren’t in foster care yet. So you still lived with your mother at the time, correct?”

Magnus nods. “At the time…” He looks back down to his wrists.

_You were a mistake._

Magnus shudders at the familiar voice in his ears, folding in on himself again. His breath picks back up, oxygen leaving his lungs once more.

“Magnus,” Alec beckons lowly, drawing him away from going back into the darkness. “We aren’t in Edom. Nothing you say here will get you beaten or hurt, I assure that.”

The mention of Edom, just the name, has another shiver running through Magnus’ bones. He knows he can’t keep the nightmares out forever. Edom brought them out, and now no matter how he tries, they’ll never go back in.

He takes a deep breath.

“B-Being in Edom…there wasn’t a day where I wasn’t in pain,” he confesses, fingers brushing over the bandages absentmindedly. “During my final days…I was put in solitary for protecting a friend of mine…a warlock.” His eyes flit up to Alec’s. “In solitary, there’s no distractions, no way to fend off the past. In that moment…every demon I ever had came back to haunt me.”

Magnus gives a crestfallen look, already tired from the little amounts of information he’s been able to give. It’s difficult to open up about any of this, especially under the pretenses given.

“Perhaps…I should start at the beginning…with my family,” he starts gently, gaze falling from Alec’s so that he stares at a spot in between them on the table.

It’s all Alec wants to do to reach forward and take Magnus’ hands in his, but because they’re monitored, he can only rely on the subtle nudge of his foot against Magnus’ to convey his feelings. “Just start wherever is most comfortable,” Alec states coolly.

Magnus takes another deep breath.

“Asmodeus is my father,” Magnus states, looking down at his hands. “My mother met him when they were young, and they were in love. But…she didn’t know of what he had done, how many he had killed.”

Magnus brings a hand up and runs it across his mouth. “She eventually found out, and she fled, running from place to place until she settled down in Indonesia. I was born that year.”

Alec nods, jotting down quick notes on a pad of paper as he listens to Magnus talking. When his pen movement stops, Alec gestures for him to continue. Magnus heaves another long sigh.

“It was hard for her, having to work as a single woman with a newborn child. But she eventually met another man, a traveler, and they married. For a little while, we were a small, happy family.”

A downcast look passes over his face.

“But it didn’t last long. When I was about 6 years old, we had moved back here to New York with my stepfather. Two months after settling in, Asmodeus found us again. While my stepfather was at work, he came to my house and—”

_There’s a crashing sound that comes from the kitchen, and his mother’s surprised gasp follows. His curiosity gets the best of him, and he strides carefully towards the kitchen._

_“Get away!” His mother’s voice echoes out, and he tenses, backing away. He looks around before eventually going to hide in the closet, behind some of the old boxes of things and winter coats. Through the slotted spaces of the closet doors, he sees his mother come into view. Her movements are frantic as she stumbles over some of the furniture. Her eyes aren’t trained on where she’s going. Instead, they’re trained on the figure who strolls in behind her._

_Magnus’ brows knit together. He doesn’t know this person._

_The man is exceptionally tall and well groomed. He wears a dark suit tailored to fit him perfectly. His hair is pushed back, revealing his set of gleaming golden eyes. His footsteps carry power as he strides against the hardwood floor._

_“My dearest,” the man starts, his cool tone chilling Magnus to the bone, “I’ve missed you.”_

_He can hear his mom spouting out words, but they all are gibberish or too soft for him to hear. Through the slots, he watches as his mother disappears from view, the tall suited man blocking his view. There’s a bit of muttering, as if the both of them are talking, but they’re too far from the closet for Magnus to hear them anymore._

_When the silence settles between them, Magnus thinks it might be over, that the man has left._

_But then there’s a blood-curdling scream._

_There’s a shatter of what sounds like china hitting the hard wood floors as screams fill his ears. The hair on the back of his neck raises and he trembles in his bones. It’s his mother._

_His mother is screaming._

_Almost as soon as it happens, it’s over, and all Magnus can see through the slots is his mother’s bare feet that peek out from the doorway to the kitchen. The man is gone, and it’s once again quiet._

_Shaking, his small hands find the door handle, opening the door slowly._

_The room is dead silent._

_“Mama?” Magnus’ shy voice echoes out into the room. His hands still shake, and the hairs continue to stand on the back of his neck as he edges closer and closer to the kitchen. Her feet come closer into view, and Magnus curiously peeks over the edge of the doorframe._

_Brown eyes go wide._

_Magnus isn’t sure if he screams, or if he just imagines the sound. His stomach lurches._

_There’s so much blood._

_It’s been splattered across the shelves and cupboards, across the broken china and toppled furniture, the bulk of it pooling around Magnus’ bare feet. She’s been sliced open, from shoulder to hip, all of her interior suddenly on the exterior._

_He’s going to be sick._

_The lifeless look in his mother’s eyes is what haunts him. The eyes that once held so much beauty and grace…now has been destroyed, exhausted to where no life will ever grace them again._

_“M-Mama!” He cries out brokenly, throat constricting his voice. His breath is gone._

_He’s going to be sick._

_“Magnus Bane…” a cool tone interrupts, cutting into the thick, bloody silence. Magnus’ blood runs cold, eyes wide as he turns, looking towards the shadow that falls over his shoulder._

_The tall suited man glares down at him, eyes full of a strange endearment. There’s a slight smile on his face, but the blood that contrasts against his pale skin does nothing but send shivers up Magnus’ spine._

_“It’s seems we finally get to meet, my son.”_

 

“I thought he was going to kill me…” Magnus trails, shaking his head lightly. “But he didn’t. He just…left.”

Alec doesn’t say a word. Magnus continues on.

“I was too scared to say anything to anyone. I was afraid that if I did, he’d come back and kill me too. So I didn’t say anything, not even to my stepfather.” He licks his lips nervously. “After my mother was murdered…it was just the two of us. We moved away from the city and settled in on an old farm my stepfather’s parents owned. I helped him with the household chores and with the work around the farm. I could tell that he was distraught over my mother’s death.”

Alec continues to write down the details, noticing that some small details, like the ownership of a farm, matched the small details left in the file.

“But one day, my stepfather came home and…and he could barely look at me,” Magnus states, voice wavering slightly. “So I continued the day as normal, and I went up to the well house to get some water for the horses and—”

 

_The door creaks open, those familiar heavy footsteps thrumming against the wooden floors. Magnus doesn’t pay much mind to it, as he continues to draw the water into the trough. His stepfather is known to come in and out and odd times, so today isn’t an exception._

_However, the heavy footsteps don’t cease. Instead they echo out, closer and closer._

_Magnus’ brows furrow, he’s about to turn when—_

_There’s a harsh grip against his hair, suddenly tugging him forward. He yelps out in pain, hands reaching up to try and release himself from the painful grip. Another large hand comes into view, turning the water flow higher, filling the trough so that it overflows with water._

_He yelps out again when the grip on his hair becomes unbearable. His movements are more desperate, more rushed. The grip pushes him forward, and he can see the water reflecting the image of his stepfather towering him over the water._

_“P-Papa—?”_

_His question is interrupted as Magnus is suddenly thrust under the water, head enveloped by the cold liquid. It stings against his skin, and his body flails, desperate to find oxygen._

_It’s just when the liquid starts to invade his lungs that he’s pulled back up, gasping and coughing out thick blobs of water._

_“You…” his stepfather’s spiteful voice rings in his ears. “You are HIS son! You…you abomination!”_

_Magnus can’t get a word out before he’s once against plunged back into the icy water, ripping him away from the oxygen he’s been deprived of._

“He found out, Alexander,” Magnus says barely above a whisper. “Somehow he found out I was Asmodeus’ son...” His hands tremble. “He held me under the water, thrashing and—”

His breath suddenly leaves his lungs, heart palpitating as fear lurches through him. Suddenly he’s shaking all over again. He can’t breathe, like the air has suddenly been sucked away and—

He can’t breathe.

_He can’t breathe—_

“Magnus!” Alec calls out, taking one of Magnus’ shaking hands in his. _Fuck the cameras,_ he thinks, applying a slight comforting pressure. “ _Magnus, it’s okay. I’m here._ ”

Magnus looks up from his lap, eyes full of terror and fear. His eyes roam over Alec’s features, soaking in the familiar features. His shaking shoulders soon slump, his breathing less harsh. A ghost of a smile pecks at the corners of his lips as he mouths a silent thank you. Alec gives another gentle squeeze of his hands before leaning back. “You don’t have to go into any detail, Magnus. Just tell me what you feel comfortable with. I won’t pressure you to do any more.”

He takes a deep breath, blowing it out steadily a second later. His eyes flit back up to Alec before he nods. “I…I was able to push away from him, and I ran as far as my legs could take me.”

 

_His lungs are burning. He’s choking on the water that sloshes around in his airways. His head is dizzy, the world around him tilting._

_He runs as fast as his legs can take him, out of the wellhouse and towards the cornfields. His vision is blurry, barely able to breathe. He can hear the distant yells of his stepfather as he runs after him._

_I have to get away—_

_I have to—_

_Another loud yell rips from his stepfather, sending another large wave of fear through him. He turns away from the cornfields, darting towards the barn. It’s not the wisest choice, he should’ve known that, but in the midst of panic…_

_Well not all decisions are well thought out._

_He runs faster, opening the heavy barn door. His stepfather’s heavy footsteps grow louder as he pushes away the door. He darts into the darkened barn, scrambling up the wooden ladder to the upper floor that houses all the hay. He finds a small, dark corner where the bales of hay hide him away from sight._

_His breathing is still heavy and labored._

_His lungs are on fire._

_I have to get away—_

_“Magnus!”_  

_His stepfather’s voice is terrifying, laced with anger and rage. His steps are heavy and threatening, shaking Magnus to his core._

_“You can’t hide, Magnus!” He yells out. “Did you really think you could keep the truth from me? To think that you’re…you’re the child of that monster!” His laugh is forced. “You were a mistake!”_

 

Magnus looks down at his lap, his lips trembling as he tries to fight off the tears. “He kept screaming at me, calling me a child of a monster…an abomination.”

“What?”

Magnus huffs with a saddened look. “He was right.”  He swallows harshly. “He blamed me for her death, saying that it was all my fault that she died.” His breath shudders, tears pricking at his eyelids. “I couldn’t take it anymore…so I got up from where I was hiding and—”

 

_He stands up far too quickly, rage overpowering the sudden dizziness he feels. His movements are quick and calculated, his mind suddenly focused in all on one task._

_He steps out into his stepfather’s line of sight, running up to him, screaming._

_It’s all deaf in his ears, the yelling, the screaming._

_His shaking hands make contact with his stepfather’s chest, pushing him back. One push after the other._

_“Stop it!” Magnus cries out._

_Another push._

_“Get away!”_

_Another push._

_There’s stumbling. The floorboards creak underneath them._

_His stepfather tries to grab his arms, his eyes wide. His mouth is moving, but Magnus can’t hear the words anymore. There’s only red. The red of crimson anger coursing through his veins._

_This isn’t his fault._

_Another push._

_His eyes are blurry with tears. His throat dry and raw from screaming._

_It isn’t his fault!_

_With one final push, the weight against his hands suddenly lifts, and the image of his stepfather hurdles backwards, off the edge of the loft. His eyes are wide, and there’s a silent scream ringing in Magnus’ ears before a loud, sickening crunch follows._

 

“I pushed him, Alexander,” Magnus confesses, tears falling from his dark-rimmed eyes down his cheeks, “from right where he stood. I murdered my stepfather.”

Alec’s expression remains concerned as his hazel eyes glance over Magnus’ features. He shakes his head lightly. “You were just a boy,” he breathes out, “you were defending yourself.”

Magnus huffs, shoulders slouching in defeat. “Was I?” He looks away from the table, and Alec catches the sight of fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. “This is what I was worried about…I…I never wanted you to see this, terrible, ugly side of me…of my past.”

“ _Magnus,_ ” Alec calls out, reaching his hand out to caress the side of his face. He brushes away the tears falling down the tan skin. “ _Do you remember what I said to you when you told me about Camille?_ ” He asks gently.

“ _There’s nothing ugly about you…_ ” he whispers, eyes fluttering close so that the dark lashes dance across his tawny skin.

“ _And I meant every word,_ ” Alec replies, hazel eyes training in on his lips. All he wants is to lean forward, embracing him gently and whispering sweet nothings into his ear to calm him down. But with Luke and Cleophas monitoring them, this is about as close as he can get without raising too much suspicion. He gives a quick smile before taking his hand away.

Magnus can feel the warmth suddenly leave his face, and he sighs as Alec sits back in his chair. “T-That…that is what those files are about,” Magnus states, his voice still wavering slightly. “I called the police, and there was an entire case surrounding what happened. The court determined that I didn’t mean to do it, that it was an unfortunate accident, so they sealed the files.” He frowns. “There may be some files in accordance to my foster care, as some of the homes I was in were…dangerous,” he whispers out carefully. He shakes his head. “That’s all I can give you.”

Alec nods, jotting a few more notes down on the pad of paper before he closes the file. “Thank you, Magnus,” he acknowledges. “I’ll talk it over with Luke and see if we can get you back home soon.”

Magnus offers him a soft smile as Alec turns away. “Oh, um…Alexander?”

“Hm?”

“Could you…is Isabelle here?”

Alec blinks in surprise. “I’m sure she is. Do you want me to send her in here?”

He nods. “I just…I don’t want to be alone.”

Alec smiles softly. “I’ll send her up.”

And with that, Alec leaves the interview room.

 

~~~~

 

When Alec comes back to the AV room, Luke and Cleophas both wear heavy, saddened looks.

“I…uh…I have the information.”

“We heard,” Luke replies, his voice crackling slightly. He looks up at Alec.

“And?”

Cleophas frowns. “The man killed his stepfather and witnessed his mother’s murder without coming forward. He withheld information and—”

“For God’s sake, Cleophas, shut up!” Luke turns to her with a stern look. “Those files are sealed for a reason, and the details Magnus has given fall in line almost perfectly with what little information those files that _aren’t_ sealed give us.” His brows furrow. “He won’t be incriminated of anything that happened here.”

Cleophas frowns back at Luke before she turns on her heel and walks out of the AV room.

Luke sighs. “You’d think she’d understand, but she wants him detained just as much as everyone else does,” he states, a hand wiping across his features.

Alec hands the file back to Luke. “Sister’s really know how to drive you nuts sometimes,” he says somewhat playfully to lighten the mood a bit.

Luke chuckles halfheartedly, but it dies out quickly, another heavy silence settling between them.

“So…what now?”

Luke looks back up at Alec before rising from his chair. “He’s given us all he can for now. And besides,” he looks to the monitor to see Magnus talking with Izzy, smiling a bit. “He’s been through enough today.”

Alec nods, walking out of the AV room with Luke and into the main office area. They grab a couple cups of coffee before he turns back towards Luke. “If it’s fine with you, I want to go over some of the files with Izzy before the trial to make sure I have all the information on the bodies before the trial.”

“That sounds good,” Luke affirms, watching as Alaric brings Magnus back into the main lobby. He’s been cuffed again, but he’s not being forcefully pushed around. Alaric goes back to his desk, leaving Izzy is at his side, and they chat quietly about the latest fashion trends.

It’s about another minute until Cleophas comes back into Alec’s view, striding across the room. Her gaze is harsh on Magnus’ figure.

“Here we go,” Alec mutters as he watches Cleophas stride to Magnus, taking a small sip of his coffee.

Cleophas stands in front of Magnus, trying to be as menacing as she can be. Her gaze boring into Magnus. “Though you may have supplied information to us today, do not think that this lets you off of your restrictions,” she quips. “Should I remind you that it is required that you have an officer on you at all times?”

Magnus is originally taken aback from her sudden accusatory tone. But a minute later, Magnus smirks, giving a quick glance to Alec. “Oh, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

Alec nearly chokes on his coffee. He sputters and coughs, earning a curious glance from Cleophas. Both Izzy and Magnus give him a knowing smirk. He tries to control his blush of embarrassment.

“S-Sorry,” he stutters, “went down the wrong pipe.”

Cleophas rolls her eyes slightly before she turns back towards Magnus. “Regardless of where you are, that ruling still stands,” she informs.

Magnus just smiles back and bats his eyelashes. “Of course.”

Izzy pops up beside him. “I assure you, Ambassador, he’s under consistent watch,” she reassures with a smile on her face. “After all, we have a surplus of officers here watching him right now.” Her tone slips into a bit of seriousness. “I understand your concern, but there really is no need to instigate him over nothing.”

Cleophas sneers slightly before turning her nose up proudly. She doesn’t bother to give the two a second look before she turns back to Luke. “Very well. It seems you have everything in order before the trial. I will go back to your office and pack my things. HR would like my files as soon as possible and I wouldn’t want to disappoint them.”

Luke nods. “Right this way,” he says, stepping to the side. Cleophas strides past him, and Luke sends a large eye roll to the other three before walking behind her to the office. When the door closes, the tension melts away and Magnus, Izzy, and Alec break out in a small fit of laughter.

“She’s even worse than mom,” Izzy says with another giggle as she looks to Alec.

“If that woman is anything like your mother,” Magnus begins, “then I’m glad I haven’t met her yet.”

Alec chuckles at that, but it dies down soon after. He gives a soft smile to Magnus. “How are you doing?”

It’s a simple question, but between the two of them, it speaks volumes.

Magnus smiles back. “I’m better, thanks to you and the lovely Isabelle,” he says, turning to Izzy, who gives a quick smile of her own. “She is quite the storyteller and has the best taste in shoes,” he quips, eyes darting down to her sparkly white stilettos.

“What can I say?” She asks, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder, “I’m a force to be reckoned with.”

Alec chuckles at that, and it’s another minute or so until it dies down. The door to Luke’s office opens, and Cleophas silently makes her way over to the elevator. When the doors close and she’s officially out of the office, Alec can feel the entire precinct take a much-needed breath.

“I never thought she’d leave,” Luke drawls as he walks back over to the three of them. “She may be my sister, but even I can only put up with her for so long.” He gives a gentle pat to Magnus’ shoulder. “I’m sorry she was so hard on you.”

Magnus rolls his eyes. “Please, I’ve dealt with worse,” he jokes. “You remember Damon?”

Luke nearly falls to the floor in laughter. “ _Oh yes,_ ” he drolls. “Now that man was a piece of work.”

It’s when Magnus yawns that the three of them can see the exhaustion of the interview taking over.

Luke pats him on the back again. “Hey, how about we get you back home so you can rest?” He looks to Alec. “I need your attorney for a couple more hours, but I promise you’ll have him back in due time.”

Magnus pushes at Luke slightly. “Shut up, you old man,” he teases, still with a bright smile across his face. “But I will take you up on your offer. A nap is exactly what I need right now.”

Luke nods before issuing an officer to take Magnus home. Magnus turns to Alec. “I’ll be seeing you soon?”

A soft smile tugs at the corner of Alec’s lips. “ _Soon,_ ” he replies.

It’s everything Alec can do to resist the urge to lean forward and kiss Magnus. He wants to so badly, but he knows they can’t in front of the entire precinct. With a shared nod between the two, Magnus is led to the elevators, soon disappearing from view. Alec sighs, turning his head just so to see Izzy giving a knowing smirk. “What?”

“Oh nothing,” she shrugs. “It’s just refreshing to see you so smitten and in love.”

Alec flushes. “I’m not—!”

“Luke!” An officer, Stephen, calls out suddenly, running up to the three of them. He’s flushed and wears a wide-eyed look.

“What is it?”

He calms his breathing a bit before standing up fully. “We…We just got a call. They found another body.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry for leaving you guys on a cliffhanger askjfalks  
> but i promise part two is nearly done! part 2 won't be as long unfortunately, but it covers a LOT of important stuff so stay tuned!
> 
> (i also wasn't planning on having smut here but oops i guess it happened anyway)
> 
> come chat with me on [tumblr](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/) or on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/the_biconic_mb)  
> i will also be tracing "#TtSfic" on tumblr too :)


	18. Chapter 17 (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s another body, and it tells more than anyone anticipates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part II of chapter 17! It’s not as long as part I, but still this chapter really important towards the case! Very big plot driven part of this chapter overall! 
> 
> **Trigger Warnings**  
>  Graphic depictions of a crime scene. That's about it for this chapter.
> 
> Also: we’re on the last big arc of this story! Things will start to come together, and so our story is going to wrap up soon. There will probably be no more than 25 chapters to this story, and from what I have (vaguely) outlined, I don’t have really much content after chapter 23. So prepare for a lot of stuff to happen within the next few chapters!

The place is a wreck, the three of them find.

Unlike the other scenes they’ve witnessed, which have been relatively clean and neat, this place is beyond repair. Shattered plates and various glassware litter the kitchen. There’s blood trails over the marble countertops in the shapes of blurred handprints, with other traces of bloody footprints on the floor. Across the room in the living area is just as trashed. Things have been tossed off shelves across the room. The blood trail leads to the red brick fireplace, where it falters to the floor, housing the body of a middle-aged man.

The man wears practically little, clad only in his boxers and nothing else. He lies splayed across the floor in front of the fireplace in a pool of his own blood. His face is beaten and bloody, like he’s been in a fight, and there are faint ligature marks around his wrists. The fireplace poker rests next to him, a bit of blood obvious on its metal casing.

“Wow,” Alec says as he steps into the main room of the crime scene. All the officers are at different places, each trying to get what they can from the crime scene. He catches sight of Izzy and Luke and strides over to them. Izzy squats down next to the body of the man, poking around at his bloodied and bruised face with her gloved hands. Alec nods to the victim. “He’s our victim?”

“One of them,” Luke quips, before turning to Alec. He nods his head to the room near the kitchen, “there’s another one in there, a young woman. We have yet to ID her currently.”

Alec turns his attention back to Izzy. “What about him?”

“We found his ID in his wallet in a pair of pants in the bedroom,” Luke reports. “The man’s name is Elliot Nourse, an owner of a bookshop over in Manhattan.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Cause of death?”

Izzy lifts her head and gives Alec a knowing look. “Well, they weren’t very creative with their COD,” she reports, pointing to the fireplace poker. “He was hit over the head with that, and most likely died from blunt force trauma. But as you can see, the excessive amounts of cuts and wounds on him probably didn’t help either. My guess is he was probably tortured before he got out here.”

Alec looks to the kitchen. “Looks like he came waltzing out the kitchen and over to here, didn’t he?”

Luke nods. “He may have been trying to flee, or trying to find something over here,” he says, looking across the room towards some of the bookshelves where Raj and a couple other officers look through their contents. “We’re doing an entire sweep of the house to see if we can find anything.”

“Guys.”

Izzy’s voice cuts through their focused gazes, and the both of them look down to her.

She holds up the right wrist of Elliot, her eyes wide. “Luke, this man is a Downworlder.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “What?”

They squat down to see that sure enough, there is a small italicized ‘w’ on the inside of his wrist.

“He’s a warlock,” Alec says in disbelief. Luke and Izzy look up to him questioningly. “Oh, uh…Magnus has said it’s a defining feature for most of them. Magnus never got one though, he was infamous enough as is.”

Luke nods before turning his attention back to Elliot. “Does he have the mark on the neck?”

Izzy turns back to the body, gently craning the head around to observe the back of his head. “Fuck,” she curses, “he does.”

“We need to get him back to the morgue quickly then,” Luke commands. “We’ll need to see if there’s any handmade poisons in his system.”

Izzy nods before she rises up to her full height, turning to face Alec and Luke. “I’ll take a look at the other victim, see if she has any of the same marks.” She brushes past them, soon disappearing down the hall with the clicking of her heels.

Luke frowns at the body. “Another Downworlder…” he trails, “so our killer has hit here too. Alaric!” He calls, earning a turn from the man stationed with Raj at the bookshelves. “Get this guy in a bag. We need him back at the precinct as soon as possible.”

Alaric nods, putting Luke’s words into action as Luke and Alec walk across towards the bedroom.

The bedroom is also in a grand state of disarray, but not like the kitchen or living area. It’s clear to the both of them when they walk in that the disorder wasn’t caused from an attack. Alec steps over the sequined dress pooled on the floor.

“Well, consider yourselves lucky,” Izzy states as they walk into the room. “She’s not a Downworlder.”

Alec quirks a brow. “She’s not?”

Izzy shakes her head. “There’s no Downworlder indication at all. She’s perfectly normal and there’s no symbol on the back of her neck.” She looks down to the girl sadly. “Poor thing was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Alec steps closer to the bed she lies on. The girl is cute, with a young face and long, red hair. She’s clad in an oversized t-shirt—most likely Elliot’s—and she’s horrendously pale-faced. Alec’s brows furrow. “Don’t you find it a bit odd that she’s practically untouched?” He quips. “I mean, look at her, you can easily tell that she hasn’t been thrown around like Nourse has.”

“You’re right,” Luke affirms. “She’s practically spotless. There’s not a scratch on her.”

“Not true,” Izzy interrupts, rolling the long sleeve of the shirt on her left arm to reveal a bruise in the crease of her elbow. “Look familiar?”

Luke’s brows furrow. “She’s been drained of blood.”

Izzy nods, leaning back from the other victim. “Yes. _But_ interestingly enough, the time of death is different from the man sitting by the fireplace.”

Alec wears a confused look upon the information. “They weren’t killed together?”

Izzy shakes her head. “We got the call this morning, but she’s been dead for at least 24 hours or longer,” she reports, scribbling a few notes on a clipboard. “Mr. Nourse out there still has relatively fresh wounds compared to her, so there may be a possibility that he stumbled upon her.”

Luke crosses his arms and lets out an aggravated breath. “It’d be a possibility. Mr. Nourse could have left the morning after their… _escapades_ and then returned later to find that she had been drained of her blood.” He frowns. “But that doesn’t explain how he was killed.”

“He couldn’t have been killed by the same person,” Alec interjects. Both Izzy and Luke share a look before looking back at Alec. “You said it yourself, her MO and Nourse’s are completely different. Besides, she shows no indication of involvement with the Downworld while Elliot Nourse is a known member of it. Though it’s extremely rare…they could’ve both been targeted at different times, and ironically ended up in the same place.” Izzy wears a look of doubt. “Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of cases, both in my time in Manhattan and the firm. It’s rare, but it does happen.”

Luke’s eyes flit to the girl’s pale complexion. “We need to rule out one other factor, Isabelle,” Luke adds. He meets her curious glance before looking around the room.

Alec quirks a brow. “What?”

“We’ve only seen a couple of cases of this,” Izzy reports, taking a step back from the body and turning to observe some of the contents of the room. “And in each case, the victim is drained completely of their blood, and something of theirs is stolen. Like I’ve said, we’ve only seen one or two cases, so nothing to indicate a serial murderer, but…”

“If we find that she fits that MO—”

“We’d have another serial killer on our hands,” Alec admits hopelessly, his shoulders slouching as he processes the words. “ _Fuck._ ”

“But we shouldn’t assume this now,” Luke replies. “If nothing pops up, we’ll see to it as an individual case. For the time being though, we should focus on Nourse, get everything we can out of him. The fact that he’s been killed while Magnus is still on house arrest does turn the case more in our favor,” he adds.

“I’ll talk to Magnus about it later,” Alec states, “see if Magnus knew him at all or knew of what he did in the Downworld.”

Luke nods as Izzy stands from her position at the side of the bed. She takes off her latex gloves. “I’ll get the both of them back at the morgue and see what else I can piece together here.”

“Very well,” Luke finalizes, looking around. “I’ll get some of the other officers to ask around too, see if we can identify our Jane Doe here or at least get some headway on how this might have happened.” He looks up from the floor to the two Lightwood siblings.

Alec takes a in a large breath. “Let’s get to work.”

 

~~~~

 

As the hours pass, Alec grows more and more frustrated.

They still haven’t been able to ID the girl, as she isn’t showing up in any databases or missing person’s lists, and—much to Alec’s dismay—they’ve found that a few things of hers, mainly pieces of jewelry witnesses saw in her possession before, are missing.

 _Score one for a possible second serial killer_ , he thinks.

He’s had the pleasure of also interviewing different people and taking witness statements of those who saw Elliot that day and who may have recognized their Jane Doe. By the time evening rolls around, Luke and Alec sit in Luke’s office looking over file after file of different witness statements.

Izzy comes in moments later, and Alec can’t help but feel a faint sense of dread at the preliminary autopsy findings.

“Well,” Izzy starts, plopping down a file on Luke’s desk as she sits down on the leather chair next to Alec’s, “I was right about our Jane Doe.” She nods to the file. “She’s been dead far longer than Nourse, almost 36 hours in fact. Not 24 like I originally thought.”

“Thirty-six?” Alec asks in disbelief. “What about Nourse?”

“Nourse is a different story,” Izzy reports as Luke leans forward to open the file. His eyes widen.

“You’re kidding,” he mutters under his breath, brows creasing together as he hands a curious Alec the file. “He was dead for only 3 hours before the call came in?”

Izzy nods. “His COD was different too. Blunt force trauma occurred post-mortem, but the poison in his veins seems to be what did him in.” She frowns. “This is by far the freshest and most potent dose I’ve seen, but we’re still having trouble trying to figure out what exactly this concoction is.”

Alec closes the file. “You should talk to Magnus about it. Granted he’s more knowledgeable about handmade medicines, he might have an idea of what might have been used to make it.”

Izzy nods again before looking back to Luke. “We’d have to bring him in for questioning again then.”

Luke crosses his arms. “So we’ve come to the conclusion that Nourse’s case applies to the Bane and Manhattan Downworlder’s cases,” he affirms. “Let’s shift gears a bit.” He rises from behind his desk and walks over to the whiteboard hanging on the side of his office wall. He takes the cap off of one of the markers. “In July, we found two bodies completely drained of their blood,” he begins, drawing out a timeline on the board. “November, we found Viola Clarice with the same MO, and now we have our Jane Doe,” he reports, stepping to the side and capping the marker.

Alec analyzes the board, his brows creasing together. “You think we have another serial killer.”

It doesn’t come out as a question. There’s a stagnant silence between the three of them as the wheels turn in their heads.

“Four known victims in almost 6 months,” Izzy trails. “There’s no repetitive dates, nor are the murders constrained to one particular area of Brooklyn.”

“The only thing connecting them is death by exsanguination, belongings stolen, and they aren’t members of the Downworld,” Alec adds. “They cross gender, age, and race borders.”

“Which means anyone could be a target,” Luke finishes. He lets out a heavy sigh. “Whatever this is, we need to get on it before it escalates further. Two serial murderers in Brooklyn…the press will have a field day with this.”

Alec frowns. “So what should we do?”

Luke looks back to Alec. “Magnus’ case goes to trial next week,” he starts, “I want you to focus on that and make sure you have all the evidence you need. I’ll assign a team to look into this right now, and I’ll keep eyes on it myself. Isabelle,” he calls, directing his attention to Izzy, “I need you to go through everything about these bodies, see if there’s anything we missed. Are there any questions?”

Izzy and Alec share a look before turning back to Luke. “No sir.”

Luke nods. “Very well, you’re dismissed.”

 

~~~~

 

By nightfall, Alec is exhausted.

He practically falls into Magnus’ living room face-first, the weight of the day dragging him down.

“Long day?” Magnus asks, stationed in the kitchen over the stove. On the island there’s an open bottle of wine and a couple of glasses, one with the red liquid already sloshing around in it’s clear contents.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Alec retorts, shucking off his boots and falling face-first onto the couch.

Magnus chuckles. “I was there for a good portion of it, darling,” he jokes, “but I’m guessing the other half of your day was just as stressful?”

Alec hums, turning to glance at Magnus bouncing around the kitchen. He smiles softly, eyes gazing at Magnus as he works. “You look like you’ve gotten your energy back.”

Magnus makes a sound of agreement. “After a boiling hot bath, a nap, and a much-needed call from my wonderful Catarina, it’s safe to say I am fully functioning again.”

Alec gives him another smile as a soft, domestic silence falls over the both of them, the only sounds between them being the silent clinks of Magnus cooking. Alec turns over so his back rests against the cushions of the couch and he stares at the blank ceiling. He takes in a breath.

“We got called out to another murder.”

“Oh?” Magnus perks up, “That’s exciting.”

There’s another minute of silence. “They were a warlock, Magnus. Went by the name of Elliot Nourse.” He looks towards Magnus. “Does that name sound familiar?”

Magnus continues with his work. “Not really, which means he probably joined after I left.” He washes his hands under the flow of water of the sink before maneuvering to chop some vegetables. “Did they fit the MO of the others?”

Alec shakes his head. “Not to your case, since you didn’t know them. Which means this one is geared toward our possible serial killer.” Alec practically groans at the last thought. “And that’s where the day gets even more hectic.”

Magnus doesn’t say anything, so Alec continues.

“Turns out there was more than one body there,” Alec frowns, stretching his legs out against the couch with an irritated groan.

“Were they also a Downworlder?”

“No, in fact, it’s the first thing we checked for. Turns out she was just some poor sap in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Alec retorts, gazing up at the ceiling. “It’s frustrating because this is the 4th case of it within these last 6 months, and Luke is worried we might have _another_ serial murderer on our hands.” He lets out another groan.

Magnus continues cooking in the kitchen. “Are you sure they’re the same MO?”

“Draining people of all their blood seems like a pretty straightforward MO, Magnus. That takes a lot of preparation to do, this isn’t some stabbing after a home invasion.”

The plates clatter loudly in the kitchen, causing Alec to jolt up in surprise. Magnus scrambles to steady himself, his hands obviously shaking. He turns off the stove and wipes his hands with a dish towel.

“Drained of blood?” Magnus asks cautiously. He turns to Alec with an uncertain stare. “To what extent?”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Exsanguination.”

The moment he states the cause of death, Magnus’ breath hitches. He’s suddenly tense, more so than before. He rips his gaze away from Alec, mumbling under his breath and threading his hands through the long strands of his hair.

Alec rises from the couch, walking over in haste to Magnus. “Magnus, what is it? Do you know something?”

Magnus shakes his head. “I didn’t—” He licks his lips nervously. “Was anything stolen?”

Alec wears a concerned look before pulling out his phone, looking briefly at the notes he typed in quickly on it. “Yeah…with our second victim an expensive painting was stolen and with our most recent one there were a couple things like jewelry and other small trinkets.” He looks up to Magnus to see him pale. “What is it?”

Magnus looks down to his feet. “Of course it’s her…” he mutters.

“Who, Magnus?” Alec asks, quirking a brow, desperate for elaboration.

Magnus swallows thickly before bringing his vulnerable gaze to Alec’s. “It’s Camille.”

“What?”

“People drained of their blood and reports of things stolen…that’s Camille’s trademark,” he states hoarsely.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Alec stops him. “You’re saying Camille is killing people and taking their things? Why?”

Magnus’ brows furrow as he frowns. “I don’t really know _why_ she did it, but I do know it’s exactly why she left the Downworld for a while.”

“So why would she do it again if it’d just get her kicked out?”

Magnus’ frown intensifies, sending a harsh glare to his feet. “Because, I’m no longer a member of the Downworld.”

There’s a bit of stiff silence between them before Alec perks up. “What do you mean…’because you’re no longer part of the Downworld?’”

Magnus closes his eyes taking in a deep breath. “Camille…she left the Downworld because I threatened to tell everyone of what she was doing. When we were together…she had started to kill mundanes, people not related to the Downworld, and take their stuff to trade it off for money. She had claimed it was for the survival of the vamp group. Needless to say, I found out about it, and I was going to tell the Council.” He gulps stiffly. “But…”

Alec’s eyes widen. “You never told them,” his tone ventures to a more accusatory pitch.

Magnus doesn’t meet his gaze.

“I didn’t,” he mutters quietly, a slight twinge of anger laced in his voice.

“You never told the Council and let a murderer go free, Magnus!” Alec shouts, stepping forward into Magnus’ space. “Do you have any idea—?”

“Yes, I do, Alec!” He yells back as he slams his palm flat against the countertop, snapping his gaze back up to Alec’s hazel eyes. His eyes are stormy and filled with sorrowful rage. “Do you know how _heartbreaking_ it was to realize that she was exactly the type of person my father was?! I wanted to report her so badly, I did, but she _LEFT_ before I could do anything!” His voice cracks as he accentuates his words.

His gaze falters from Alec’s as he steps back, emotions suddenly overtaking him. “With her out of the Downworld, the Council wouldn’t have any power over her. She knew that.” He swallows. “At that point, there was nothing I could do. But…I couldn’t stay in the Downworld, not after that. So I left,” he says quietly, his angry tone softening to a broken whisper.

Another silence falls between them, letting the emotions simmer. Alec reaches out, brushing his hand against Magnus’ and stroking his thumb against the back of it softly.

“ _I’m so sorry,_ ” Alec apologizes.

Magnus huffs. “I’m sorry too.” His eyes flit back up to Alec. “I kept this from you, and because of that, I let more people die and—” His breath shudders a bit. He inhales deeply. “I may not be able to take this to the Council…but I can’t let her win again. I can’t let her keep doing this.” His hands tremble a bit in Alec’s. “I want to help stop her, whatever it takes. I can’t let her keep murdering innocent mundanes.”

Alec nods. “We can call Luke tomorrow, okay?”

Magnus nods back, taking a step closer to Alec. His strong arms wrap around Alec’s back, bringing him close. They stay there, embracing one another, and Alec can only imagine what Magnus is going through.

For the one person in his life, the person who became his family then broke his heart to be a killer…

Alec hugs him tighter, nuzzling his face into the crook of Magnus’ neck in comfort. He hopes that his feelings can come through, to enunciate that _he’s there._

For now, that’s all he can do.

 

~~~~

 

The next morning, the second Alec wakes up and dresses for the day, he calls Luke.

He answers on the first ring.

“Alec,” Luke greets, “What’s up?”

Alec takes a small glance back into the bedroom to see Magnus sleeping soundly in the sheets. He closes the door softly before spilling out into the main living room. “How is the investigation on our Jane Doe going?”

Luke sighs on the other end, the faint sound of papers ruffling accompanying it soon after. “Still nothing yet, though your sister did manage to run some DNA samples and are sending them in to see if we get a match on who our victim is.” He pauses for a moment. “Did you happen to ask Magnus about the Downworlder murder?”

Alec frowns. “Yeah, I did.”

“And?”

“And Magnus didn’t recognize the name, so most likely Nourse was a member who joined after Magnus left.” He looks down the hallway. “Considering he left the Downworld almost 6 years ago, I wasn’t too surprised. But…”

Luke picks up on his hesitation. “But?”

Alec sighs, running his fingers through the long strands of his hair. “I mentioned the other body, our Jane Doe drained of all her blood.” He takes a deep breath. “As it turns out, Magnus recognized the MO.”

“You’re kidding,” Luke replies, disbelief obvious in his tone.

Alec shakes his head. “He’s seen it before, Luke. Bodies unassociated with the Downworld turning up drained of their blood with belongings stolen or missing…” He licks his lips nervously. “Luke, he _knows_ who’s doing this.”

He can hear the door close faintly on the other side of the line. “He knows? How?”

“Because,” Alec begins, “the person doing this is someone he knows very well. Luke…Magnus says the person killing these mundanes is Camille.”

Luke is briefly silent on the other line, perhaps taking a moment to connect the dots themselves and see if everything adds up.

“It would make sense, Luke,” Alec adds, looking down at his shoes as he sits on one of the kitchen barstools. “According to Magnus, there had been bodies showing up under the same pretenses almost 6 to 7 years ago. However, records don’t show anything recent until now, which—according to other members of the Downworld like Maia and Raphael—is when Camille made her presence in the Downworld known again.”

“And Magnus believes it’s her?”

“More than believes it,” Alec states, “he knows it. He found out about the bodies and confronted her about it, planning to tell the Downworld Council, but—”

“But then she left,” Luke interjects. “And then the Council wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it,” he finishes. Luke curses lightly under his breath. “And now with Magnus out of the Downworld, there’s no one to report to the Council of what she’s doing, is that right?”

Alec hums in agreement.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Luke curses again, slightly louder. “Well this just got increasingly more difficult.”

“Why?”

Luke lets out an aggravated sigh. “I’m sure you’ve heard from some of the other Downworlders, but Camille is infamous for never wanting to be found. She’s slick, and leaves practically no trail.” There’s a minute of silence that passes between them. “I’ll put out an order for my other officers to watch out for her. I’ll try and work things out here to see if I can get any strides towards tracking her down.” He clears his throat slightly. “As for you, I don’t want you to worry about Camille. You should—”

“I was going to head over to Izzy’s today and look over files for my case,” Alec interrupts. “Make sure we have everything we need and everything covered by the forensics before our court date next week.”

Luke hums in agreement. “Sounds like a plan. Thank you for calling me, Alec.”

“No prob,” he quips, and a moment later, Luke hangs up. Alec sighs, rubbing a hand across his face.

“Was that Luke?”

Alec looks up to see Magnus leaning against the entry of the hallway, clad only in a pair of baggy sweatpants that ride low on his hips. Alec’s eyes roam over the large expanse of tanned skin, his pecks, his abs, the trail of dark hair leading down towards his—

“ _Alexander,_ ” Magnus calls, a playful tone to his sleepy voice. He walks closer to Alec, a knowing smirk on his lips. “While I do enjoy when you look at me like that, I was really hoping for an answer to my question.”

Alec swallows thickly as Magnus comes closer, invading his personal space and letting the warm scent of sandalwood permeate through his airways. He drags his eyes up from Magnus’ hips slowly, biting his lip a bit. “S-Sorry,” he apologizes halfheartedly, meeting Magnus’ gaze. He licks his lips, trying to blink away the thoughts in his mind. “Yeah, it was.”

Magnus lifts up his hand to brush against Alec’s cheek. “And? Did you tell him?” He questions. “About Camille?”

Alec nods. “He’s going to try to do everything he can to track her down.”

Magnus hums. “I probably shouldn’t since I’ve already been accused of being involved in the Downworld currently, but I’d suggest talking to Raphael. Though she may not see him directly, he may be able to give you some insight of where to find her.”

“Okay,” Alec affirms, eyes trailing over Magnus’ features. He can see the flicker of worry and uncertainty in his eyes. “ _Hey…it’ll be alright._ ”

Magnus’ eyes soften, a ghost of a smile dusting his features as he leans in and presses a soft kiss to Alec’s lips. He draws back a second later. “So,” he trails, waltzing over to the pantry to grab some jam before tugging at the bread on the counter, “What do you have to do today?”

Alec turns on the stool, watching as Magnus goes about his morning, turning on the coffee pot and maneuvering to make a quick breakfast of eggs and toast for the both of them. He can’t help but smile as Magnus works, a fluttering feeling in his stomach.

_It’s refreshing to see you so smitten and in love._

Izzy’s words suddenly find their way into his mind in that moment and it feels as if he’s been punched in the gut. _Has he really been so obvious about it? Does Magnus know?_

That makes Alec’s stomach churn. He loves Magnus, he’s said it before to Izzy, but has he ever said it to Magnus? He looks back up at Magnus. Alec mutters under his breath, “Magnus, I—”

“Oh, that’s right! You’re going to Isabelle’s today, aren’t you?” Magnus asks, unaware of how he might’ve interrupted Alec. He turns to place a plate in front of him with toast and jam and some scrambled eggs. He pours Alec a cup of coffee and hands it to him before going to fix his own.

“Oh…uh, yeah,” Alec manages out, caught off guard after being thrown from his original train of thought. “We’re going to go over autopsy files. Make sure that we have everything we need before your trial.”

Magnus nods, turning back to face Alec once his coffee has been fixed. “If you ever have questions, I’m just a phone call away,” Magnus offers. “These were people I knew very well, so if there’s something that doesn’t make sense, I can help clear anything up.”

Alec smiles softly at him. “Thanks, babe.”

Magnus circles around the island to plant a chaste kiss to Alec’s lips. “I’m going to go get dressed before the morning shift comes around,” Magnus jokes, gesturing slightly to the front porch. “There’s only one officer I’ll allow to fuck me with their eyes.”

Alec guffaws, a blush building on his cheeks. “Y-You—!” Magnus laughs, stepping away as Alec swats at him playfully. “Go get dressed, you nasty old man.”

Magnus pokes out his tongue childishly at Alec before turning down towards the bedroom. His feet patter against the floor until Alec can hear the gentle sound of the door closing. He takes a deep breath.

_Guess I’ll have to wait for another chance._

 

~~~~

 

If there's one thing that Alec hates about his job, it’s all the paperwork. With every trial, there's always a mountain of it to sift through to determine what is relevant, what can be used in the case, and what matches with the current evidence or not. It takes ages to go through, and when a particular case gets messy, it's practically impossible to finish it all on a normal sleep schedule.

Needless to say, today is no exception.

Alec flips through another autopsy file on Magnus' third victim. For the past 3 ½ hours, he and Izzy have been looking over case files, witness statements, and other important information.

"I can't look at another damn file," Alec groans, tossing the papers in his hands to the coffee table. He falls backwards, stretching out on the expanse of the couch cushions.

Izzy rolls her eyes from where she sits stationed at her desk. "Oh come on," she drolls, "This isn't the most paperwork you've encountered before, Alec."  She scribbles down a few notes onto a sheet of paper before turning it over. "And for the most part, it's just confirming that we have everything."

"It's not like that's any more exciting, Iz," Alec quips with a large sigh.

"You've just got to add your own Lightwood flair," Simon's voice echoes out from the kitchen.

Alec rolls his eyes. "If you find a way to sift through dead people's lives with 'flair', let me know," Alec retorts plainly. Not a second later a ball of paper hits the back of his head. "Hey!" He turns to Izzy, who gives a pointed look. "I was teasing!"

She just rolls her eyes at him, picking up another file as Simon walks over to Izzy, handing her a cup of chai tea and pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. He turns back to Alec, handing him a cup as well. “No kiss for you, but I do have coffee.”

A smile tugs at Alec’s lips as he takes the beverage from Simon. He steals a glance back at Izzy. “No kiss? That’s too bad. You’re missing out.”

Simon snorts. “Trust me, if I were to take you up on that offer, I’m pretty sure my girlfriend would eviscerate me,” he jokes. The both of them watch as Izzy gazes up from her work to glare at them. They bark out a laugh. “C’mon, Izzy, we’re joking.”

“Oh _I know,_ ” Izzy emphasizes, her own knowing smirk tugging back on her lips. “All Alec ever talks about seriously kissing anyways is his boyfriend he’s been taking night shifts for.”

Simon turns back to Alec with a lifted brow. Alec blushes. “ _Izzy_ ,” he says accusingly. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“He’s not?” Simon asks innocently. Alec shakes his head. “Why not?”

Alec opens his mouth to retort, but Izzy beats him to it. “Because he’s currently trying to prove he’s innocent of his crimes.” When Simon doesn’t get it, Izzy shakes her head, abandoning her files. “His name is Magnus Bane, Simon.”

Simon’s eyes widen. “ _The_ Magnus Bane? Like…your client?”

Alec shrugs.

Simon huffs out a laugh, shaking his head slightly. “Well damn, you’ve got some guts!” He jokes. “Jokes aside, I hope it goes well,” Simon says sincerely.

Alec blinks a bit in surprise. “Oh…uh, thanks,” he says a bit awkwardly. “But just so you know, you can’t say anything to anyone about—”

Simon holds up a hand. “Trust me, I know.” He juts a thumb to Izzy. “With her job the way it is, I practically get told case details every day.” He shrugs. “I can keep a secret, don’t you worry.”

There’s an endearing flutter in Alec’s chest at Simon’s words. He nods with a smile, but it isn’t a moment after when Simon’s watch starts going off.

He looks down with wide eyes. “Oh jeez,” he gasps suddenly, turning back to Izzy. “I gotta get going. Maureen is going to kill me if I’m late for practice again.” He steps backward towards the door. He points to Izzy. “We still good for dinner?”

Izzy nods. “Just call if you have to stay later.”

Simon nods back before turning to the door, pulling his winter coat over his frame and slinging his messenger bag across his shoulder. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose before giving the two Lightwood siblings a warm smile. “I’ll see you later, and good luck with your boyfriend, Alec!” He waves before shuffling out the door in a hurry.

“He’s not—!” Alec can’t finish the statement before the door closes. He expels a heavy sigh before directing his attention back to the files.

“It’s quite a shame,” Izzy states, leaning back in her chair, “I thought you would’ve asked him by now.”

“Huh?”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m talking about Magnus. You two are practically dating already, so why haven’t you popped the question to him?”

“Izzy, it’s not that simple.”

“Isn’t it?”

“It’s not!” Alec yells back, standing up from the couch. He blinks a couple times before tearing his eyes away from Izzy’s surprised face. “You said it yourself a few weeks ago, we can do anything inside of that house. But the second we walk out, he’s a convicted criminal and I’m his defense attorney.” He frowns. “If I ask him out…I can’t take him on dates or kiss him in public like other couples do. And what if—” His voice falters a bit, and he tries to brush off his anxiousness by scratching at his jawline. “What if he goes back to Edom, Iz? What if I ask him out, and the trial turns somehow and he goes back to Edom?”

His voice cracks with that last sentence, hands shaking lightly as the emotions rack through his body.

“ _I can’t lose him like that, Iz_ ,” he confesses in a tone of defeat.

Izzy wears the same look of surprise as she did before, but Alec’s ramblings are enough of a force to pull her away from her desk. She walks over to him, her soft hands finding his arms and giving them a gentle reassuring squeeze. Alec lets out an uneven breath, and it’s enough incentive for Izzy to wrap her arms completely around Alec, enveloping him in a comforting hug.

“I’m sorry,” she apologizes softly. “I didn’t know.”

Alec’s breath shudders as Izzy’s arms wrap around his and he takes a moment to bask in her warmth and comfort. After a moment, he pulls away. “Sorry,” he apologizes, stepping away from her. “Could we…uh, just get back to work, please?”

Izzy looks up at him with uncertainty, but nods all the same. “Okay. But _when_ we win the trial, because we _will_ ,” she assures, “I will get an answer from you.” She gives another reaffirming squeeze to Alec’s arm before turning back to her desk. She hands Alec a large, dark folder. “These are the autopsy files for the first set of victims for the case. Just make sure all the details and victims are there, alright?”

Alec takes a deep breath before taking the folder and walking back over to the couch, sitting on it as he takes out the first file. It's the autopsy report for Dot Rollins, and he trails his eyes across the contents. It's the same as usual, COD, what was found in the body, what they last ate, blood splatter, and—

Wait a minute.

That can't be right.

Alec’s brows knit together. “Izzy, why didn’t you write anything down about the mark on their necks?” He asks, turning to her. “I thought we established that the mark was an important part of the evidence.”

This time, it’s Izzy’s turn to give a quizzical look. “What do you mean? I _did_ write that down in the files. Are you sure you didn’t pass over it?”

Alec gives a second glance over it, still unable to find it. He opens up another file, the one with Kitty's autopsy findings only to see the same thing.  "Yeah, I'm pretty sure," he says as Izzy crosses over to Alec's space on the couch. He hands Izzy the files. "See? Neither of them state anywhere that they had the diamond shaped pattern carved into the back of their necks."

Izzy’s eyes focus on the file. “That doesn’t make sense,” she trails off, turning back towards her desk. “I’m sure I wrote it down…” She opens up the filing cabinet and thumbs through a variety of files until she plucks one out. “I always make two copies of my files. I give one to the precinct for the official report, and then I keep the handwritten one for myself to keep track of the case details here at home,” she explains.

She opens the second file and places it next to Alec’s. She scans through her copy. “Look,” she directs, pointing a red painted fingernail at the file. Alec leans over her shoulder and sure enough, the file indicates the presence of the mark. Alec’s eyes go back and forth between the files.

“They’re different,” Alec states openly, a bit of shock registering in his voice.

Izzy huffs. “Yeah, they are. And they _shouldn’t_ be. I make sure both are the same before I send them upstairs for the official report and—” Her eyes suddenly widen in realization. She looks up at Alec, mouth agape. “Alec…someone is changing my files.”

“What?”

“That’s the only way things could be different!” She exclaims, turning back to her work. “For all the years that I’ve worked here, all of my case files have always been the same.” Izzy turns back to her desk, combing through some other files. “Look here,” she points to another file, one with her original handwritten copy and another typed formal report. “This is the official report that we have to submit, and in terms of this case, the files are still the same, but for every victim under Magnus’ case…they aren’t.” She frowns. “Which means someone is altering my autopsy findings for the Bane case.”

Alec’s eyes widen. “Then that means—”

“Yes, Alec,” she agrees, turning to him with a serious look. “We have a mole in the precinct.”

 

~~~~

 

By the end of the week, Alec is spent.

With the discovery of the manipulated files, Alec and Izzy had gone through every file to see what had been affected and what hadn’t. Sure enough, every file from Magnus’ case had been altered in some way to avoid stringing the victims to the murders of Aline’s case in Manhattan.

This, Alec knows, is a large stride into finding who really did kill them.

However, they can’t immediately come out and expose the mole. He wanted to, desperately so, but Izzy advised against it. There is a large sum of people in the precinct, and another good portion of them deal with autopsy files on a daily basis. Without the proper evidence, there’s no one they can point to.

It left Alec all the more frustrated, but Izzy assured him. She may not be a cop, but she has her own ways of finding out things.

“ _Leave it to me, Alec_ ,” he remembers her saying, “ _I’ll figure out who’s changing the files without setting off a widespread panic in the precinct. The last thing we want is for their trail to disappear completely_.”

He knew she was right. They were already so close. If they were reckless, the culprit could disappear without a trace.

Just like Camille.

There’s still no headway on her, according to Luke, and Alec can’t help but feel nervous the longer he knows that Camille is out there. She’s elusive, and no one can seem to find her. It’s his hope that she’ll slip up, become more reckless, and leave a clue.

But the chances of that happening are slim.

“I promise your branzino won’t jump off your plate, Alexander,” Magnus interjects playfully. “I’m certain that cooking it makes sure that won’t happen.”

Alec blinks out of his thoughts, eyes rising up from the plate of fish in front of him to Magnus, who sits across the small, intimate dining table for two looking at him like he hung the stars in the sky. He wears something less flashy than usual, fairing just for a plain, black Henley shirt and dark jeans. His makeup is minimal, but still draws attention to his dark, striking eyes. He raises a dark brow at Alec curiously.

“Oh, uh…sorry,” Alec apologizes, looking back down to cut at his fish.

Magnus leans forward to take a sip of his wine. He places it down a moment later. “Long day at work?”

Alec licks his lips. “I guess you could say that,” he retorts. “It’s just…been a long week.”

Magnus nods. “All the more reason as to why date night is important,” he agrees, taking another bite of his fish silently.

Alec’s head snaps up. “Wait. D-Date night?”

Magnus looks up quizzically. “Yeah…” he trails out with uncertainty tracing his words. “Is there something wrong?”

Alec tries to form words, but struggles to find them. He places his utensils on the table and gulps. “Are we…are we dating?”

Magnus’ eyes widen slightly. “I thought we were,” he states, placing down his utensils too. “Do you not want to?”

Alec’s legs shake under the table, and he can’t sit down any longer. He pushes back the chair, standing up and turning away from Magnus, who also rises from his seat. He runs his hands across his face.

_They’re dating—_

_What if he loses him?_

_He can’t lose him._

_He can’t—_

“Alexander,” Magnus calls out meekly, cueing Alec to turn back to Magnus. He wears a saddened, hurt gaze. “Do you…do you not want to date me?”

Alec’s eyes widen. “N-No!” He notices Magnus hurt look worsen. “N-No, I mean—fuck I—” He swallows thickly. “Of _course_ I do, Magnus. There’s nothing more I’d want than to be with you.”

Magnus’ eyes search his face. “T-Then why—?”

Alec walks over to Magnus, taking his ringed fingers in his own. “ _I’m scared,_ ” he confesses, leaning forward to press his forehead against Magnus’. “If we go into court in the next two days dating and we lose…” he applies a slight pressure to Magnus’ hands. “ _I’m scared to lose you._ ”

Magnus is quiet for a moment before taking his hands away from Alec, stepping back from him. Alec feels the oxygen disappear from his lungs, his heart dropping as Magnus’ warmth pulls away.

_No—_

_Nononono—_

A brush against his cheek jolts him back to reality, opening the eyes he didn’t realize he closed. Magnus is back in his space, his uncertainty wiped away and replaced with a gentle smile harmonizing with his warm, brown eyes. “ _Alexander,_ ” Magnus whispers endearingly, “ _you will never lose me._ ”

“B-But—”

“ _You won’t, I promise you,”_ he assures, pulling Alec closer. “If there’s anything I’m sure of, it’s that you and Isabelle and Lucien have done everything you can to prove my innocence. All that effort won’t be wasted.” He steps closer into Alec’s space, lips just a breath away from Alec’s. “Believe in yourself, Alexander. If you do that…you won’t lose. Not the case, or me.”

Alec’s hands find Magnus’ waist, pulling him close so that he’s flush against his hips. He leans down to close his lips over Magnus’, pressing passionate—yet somewhat desperate—kisses to them. Magnus hums, his hands falling to the collar of Alec’s dress shirt and pulling him impossibly closer. He falls into the kisses, opening his mouth slightly to brush the tip of his tongue against Alec’s lips in silent question. Alec accepts it, and soon he has Magnus softy moaning against his lips as he brushes his tongue against Magnus’ with every new kiss.

Eventually, the kisses lose their desperation until they become soft silent pecks. Magnus suppresses a giggle as he kisses Alec one last time before opening his eyes. He takes in Alec’s flushed look, illuminated by the moonlight of the window behind him and the candlelight of the forgotten dinner table.

“ _I want this, Alexander_ ,” he begins softly, “I want to be with you in this way, to go on dates and to kiss you into oblivion. I want to be your boyfriend, Alexander, I really do.” His gaze meets Alec’s. “So could I be? Will you go out with me?”

Uncertainty floods Alec’s face once again. He closes his eyes and his brows furrow. “I do…I want to but—”

“But?”

Alec swallows, looking down at their shoes. “Until this case is over, until you go free, I’m your defense attorney. We may be able to do this in here, in your house, but until the trial happens, every time we go outside you’ll be a convict and I’ll be your defense attorney.” Alec frowns. “Magnus, you can’t date your _defense attorney_. If anyone else found out about this as we are now, they’d tear me to shreds for being too close to the case.”

Magnus takes in his words for a second before a sly smirk crosses his face. “If you ask me, you’re not close _enough_ ,” he emphasizes, pulling Alec forward by his belt loops and pressing Alec achingly close to him. He leans forward, pressing his lips to Alec’s throat.

Alec groans, albeit a bit broken because the spot is so sensitive. His dick twitches in his pants. “ _Fuck_ ,” he breathes out, “M-Magnus, I’m serious.”

It takes every fiber of his being to step away from Magnus. Magnus’ cheeks are traced lightly with blush, and his eyes are blown wide with desire. Alec wants nothing more than to just dive back in and ravage him, but he resists.

Magnus frowns a bit. “Okay,” he says a bit breathlessly. His tone is also a tad bit deeper, and it sends another shiver down Alec’s spine. “What do you suppose we do about this then?” He asks, gesturing between them.

A smirk finds its way across Alec’s face. “Guess I’ll have to wait until we win your trial to call you my boyfriend.”

Magnus rolls his eyes playfully, a small smile spreading across his face. “I’ve waited this long,” he mutters, wrapping his arms around the back of Alec’s neck. He pulls him into a tender kiss, sealing his lips gently against Alec’s.

It’s a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have to end on a bit of fluff in order to balance out the rest of that plot, right?
> 
> I hope you enjoyed part II and next chapter will be Magnus’ OFFICIAL MURDER TRIAL. So stay tuned and I’ll try to get that done as soon as I can!
> 
> I've also moved URL's on tumblr, so you can come find me at [ biconicmagnusbane! ](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/) I'll also be tracking #TtSfic over on tumblr as well :)


	19. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The case is taken to court again, and it takes a dramatic turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YA BOY ITS TIME FOR THE OFFICIAL TRIAL  
> (it's been what...another month almost? WHOOPS)
> 
> but i do have a bit of an excuse this time! I spent the last week on vacation, deprived of any internet (i died a little bit on the inside lbr). BUT I did manage to write a little over 10k while on my trip! (also ur welcome cause this tops out at 15k)
> 
> So here we go for the official murder trial of Take the Stand! It's been leading up to this for 18 chapters, folks. 
> 
> Some quick notes before you read:  
> -obv I’m not going to go over all 17 victims, that’d take way too much time and would be too incredibly slow and boring. I’ll do in-depth questioning about a few of the victims, but don’t expect a grand novel about the rest of them (whoops)
> 
> -also a bit of tw: graphic mentions of autopsy results (kinda) there isn’t much in-depth detail, but there’s still mentions of how people died what wounds they sustained, all that jazz
> 
> -also fair warning, another smut scene (ACTUALLY holy fuck theres two???) first one is really short. If you want to breeze over it, you can, but it’s not that long so  
> and as for the second one, it’s fairly obvious where it starts, but if you wanna skip past it just hit ctrl + F and look for /“Amazing,” Magnus finishes./ And you’ll essentially be past all of it. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“ _Nnnnh Magnus—_ ”

Alec writhes in the bed under Magnus touch. His painted fingernails stand out against the creamy tone of Alec’s thighs, splaying him open so that he’s vulnerable to Magnus. Magnus’ lips wrap around his cock, gliding up and down swiftly and letting Alec revel in the warm, moist heat surrounding him. His hands are in Magnus’ dark hair, combing through it mercilessly as Magnus continues his ministrations.

When Magnus starts swallowing around him, Alec starts to lose it.

“ _Nhh_ —!” Alec grunts, hips jutting upward at Magnus’ movements. He moans loudly again as he feels the rough of Magnus’ tongue trace the underside of him teasingly. He pulls off a bit, focusing his attention on the head. The tip of his tongue brushes against the slit and Alec can feel the air suddenly leave his lungs. He gasps out at the action, toes curling and hips bucking.

Magnus keeps his hips down, however, hands travelling from the interior of his thighs to his hipbones. His dark eyes flutter open from behind his lashes, and he meets Alec’s eyes, which are blown wide. He notices the hazel has been taken over by a dark glint, arousal flooding his features. Magnus pulls off Alec’s cock, sitting back slightly with a small smirk.

“ _Are you enjoying yourself?_ ” Magnus asks, though he very well knows the answer.

Alec throws back his head with a moan at Magnus’ gravelly, wrecked tone. He’s practically vibrating from Magnus’ teasing antics. “ _Fuck…Magnus, please,_ ” he pleads out.

Magnus traces a finger down the underside of his dick, which makes Alec bite his lip to suppress another broken moan. “ _Please what?_ ”

Alec squeezes his eyes shut, his breathing erratic and panting. “ _Fuck…Magnus, please. I can’t take it anymore. I want you._ ” He arches again. “ _I need you inside me._ ”

Magnus stills suddenly, halting in his actions completely. He looks up at Alec with wide eyes still dusted with lust. “Really?”

Alec lets out a broken whine when Magnus stops completely, looking down at him bashfully. He nods hesitantly, blush building on his face. “If you’re ready, of course.”

Magnus opens his mouth to respond, “I—”

The loud, boisterous sound of Alec’s work ringtone interrupts them before Magnus can say anything else. Alec lets out a frustrated, mewling groan as Magnus sits up from his position, the ringtone effectively killing the mood. Alec sits up begrudgingly before he turns to pick up the phone.

“I swear to God, Izzy—”

“Look, if it was any other day, I wouldn’t bother to call,” Izzy interrupts, “but you better have a really good excuse as to why you’re not over here yet. Lydia is here already and asking where the hell you are.”

His brain doesn’t process the words immediately, still foggy from lust. He furrows his brows. “What are you—?”

“God damn it, Alec,” Izzy curses. “You’re seriously going to ask me what I’m talking about? Magnus’ official trial starts in an _HOUR_ and you and your client haven’t even arrived yet.” She’s clearly upset, words sharp and pointed at Alec.

“Wha—” He pulls the phone away to see that sure enough, there’s only an hour before the trial is set to start. His eyes widen. “S-Shit, Izzy, I’m so sorry! We were—”

“I don’t care what the hell you two were up to,” she says disapprovingly. “Just get over here as soon as you can so I can stop having to dodge questions about where the both of you are.”

Alec sits up, his panic obvious on his face. “R-Right. We’ll be there soon.” With an irritated groan from his sister, the call drops and the full panic sets in. He slides off the bed and goes over to the dresser to pull out some clothes.

“Alexander, what’s wrong?” Magnus asks as Alec scrambles around.

Alec slides on a pair of boxer-briefs before throwing a clean pair to Magnus. “We’re late.” He looks up to Magnus. “The trial starts in an HOUR and we lost track of time and now we might be late and—”

“ _Alexander_ ,” Magnus calls out again, walking over to him and squeezing his hand gently. “Don’t worry, we still have plenty of time.” He offers a small smile. “I’ll help you get ready okay?”

Alec swallows thickly before nodding, pressing a chaste kiss to Magnus’ lips. “Okay.”

 

~~~~

 

They just barely make it on time to the court.

Granted there’s only 10 minutes before the doors open, they could’ve been a lot later.

It still doesn’t save them from the scrutiny of Lydia and Luke.

Because Alec is never late.

Especially for a court date.

“Alexander Lightwood,” Lydia calls in a stern tone, “Where the hell have you been?”

Alec gulps. “I lost track of time,” he admits sheepishly.

Lydia doesn’t seem to buy it, her lips turning down into a frown.

“It’s true,” Magnus interjects, stepping forward between them slightly. “I asked Alexander if we could go over some last-minute details, especially regarding those sealed files from last week,” he informs with a serious tone. “The last thing I want is any surprises in court.”

It takes a solid minute before Lydia’s gaze softens slightly. “You are absolutely right, Mr. Bane,” she agrees, tone less harsh. Alec feels the weight in his shoulders lift slightly, but with a glance to his sister—who wears her own smug, knowing look—a faint blush starts to build on his cheeks.

Lydia directs her attention back to Alec.

“Very well,” Lydia directs, her eyes roaming down Alec’s figure to take in his court attire, “I’ll let you off the hook this time. But only because you were going over important details.” Her brows furrow. “If this ever happens again—”

“It won’t,” Alec interrupts. “I promise.”

Lydia narrows her eyes before expelling a large breath. She turns to Luke. “I’m sure you’ve gone over the files as well?” She inquires.

Luke nods. “We’ve got all our things organized,” he confirms, looking to Alec. “You know I’ll answer every question honestly, whether or not it’s against Magnus,” he states. “But I have faith in you Alec. No matter what Malachi does, our evidence will close this case.”

Alec tries not to let that affect him as much as it does. The nervousness and panic settle in his gut, squirming around and bringing him to the edge of nausea. He nods, probably a bit excessively as Lydia, Luke, and Izzy all begin to talk about how the case will go, which victims will be brought up first, and so forth. But Alec doesn’t focus in on any of it. His brain accelerates, mind going a thousand miles a minute.

Everything is riding on him.

They don’t want surprises in court.

But what if something happens?

What if Malachi has something that they overlooked?

_He can’t lose Magnus._

Alec pulls at his dark vest with shaky hands, soon moving up to loosen the dark maroon tie that hangs around the collar. He’s suddenly overwhelmed, the fears of the case racing through his head on repeat.

It feels like the Imasu trial, but 1000 times worse.

He clenches his eyes shut, letting out a shaky breath.

“ _Alexander,_ ” Magnus whispers softly, stepping into Alec’s space. Alec opens his eyes to see Magnus, who looks at him endearingly. He looks breathtaking as usual, hair done up with a few red streaks through it. His velvet blazer matches his hair, and brings a sense of color to the dark slacks and dress shirt he wears. Magnus raises a hand lightly to run it over Alec’s clothed bicep. His dark, kohl lined eyes graze over his features. “ _Alexander, it’s okay. I’m right here._ ”

Alec’s breathing is still somewhat erratic, panic still shaking his bones. His gaze drops to their feet. “I can’t lose you…” he whispers, “I can’t—”

“And you won’t,” Magnus finishes. “I promised you that.” His hand presses to Alec’s pectorals, right over his heart. Magnus meets his gaze again, a ghost of a smile tracing his features. “ _You won’t lose me._ ”

It’s all he wants to do to press a kiss to Magnus’ lips, to kiss away the worries and fears and just try and accept that everything will be alright. But they can’t. Not here.

Alec gives a small nod at Magnus’ words, and Magnus steps back slightly, allowing Alec to try and take some more deep breaths. Not a moment later, the doors to the courtroom open.

Filing into the courtroom is a blur. There’s conversations and statements directed at him, but he doesn’t hear any of them. He takes in the room and its familiarity, how the mahogany is just as dark as the first time, how the windows to the left let in light to brighten up the serious matter of the cases, how the people in the audience give Magnus shifty and uneasy looks.

He sits down at the table for the defense next to Magnus and releases the large breath he had been holding. He watches as the jury files in, and how the bailiff watches over the court, taking in its contents.

A pregnant silence falls over the court as everyone takes their seats.

“All rise for Judge Herondale,” the bailiff announces.

Alec takes another deep breath.

This is it.

This is where it all comes to an end.

Whether Magnus goes free or spends the rest of his life in jail, it’s all decided now.

The familiar silence falls over the court as Judge Herondale takes her seat. There’s an obvious tension in the air, and Alec can feel his fears prickling against his skin again.

_What if they lose?_

Alec swallows thickly.

Judge Herondale opens her main file, adjusting her glasses as she announces the case number and title. “This trial will be a two-day trial to ensure each victim has been addressed,” she reads, looking up at the court. “If there are no questions, Mr. Dieudonné, you may begin.”

With another beat of silence, Malachi rises from the prosecution table. “We’d like to begin with questions for Mr. Bane, your Honor.”

She nods. “Proceed.”

Magnus rises from the table accordingly, striding over to the stand with his head held high, a direct antithesis of his appearance for Imasu’s trial. He swears in before taking a seat at the stand.

He’s nervous, Alec knows, but he has hope.

“Mr. Bane,” Malachi begins, eyes taking in Magnus’ rather flashy—yet still somewhat subdued—appearance. “Let us begin with Linette Owens,” he states. “You knew her, correct?”

Magnus nods. “Linette and Edmund were both good friends of mine in the past, yes.”

“And have you kept in contact with them?”

Magnus’ brows furrow. “No, sir. I lost contact with them years ago,” he informs. “Our paths diverted, and I wished them nothing but the best.”

“Then you were aware of his feelings for Mrs. Owens?” Magnus nods. “Was there ever a time you were jealous of that?”

Magnus wears a conflicted look. “Linette was a wonderful woman,” he admits, a sad smile tugging at the corners of his lips slightly. “She had a tendency to draw you in.” He looks back to Malachi, “Though there may have been some affections towards her initially, they dissipated the moment Edmund made his feelings clear to me.”

Malachi quirks a brow. “And you let it happen despite your feelings?”

Magnus’ eyes latch onto Edmund, who sits behind in the crowd of spectators. His gaze softens. “They loved each other so much. It was obvious to anyone who looked at them.” There’s a small smile that crosses his face. “They both deserved each other.”

There’s another small pause. “Did Mr. Owens ever reach out to you again after they became a couple?” Malachi inquires.

Magnus opens his mouth to retort. “Well…” he trails.

Alec stills. _I thought he said no surprises in court,_ he thinks.

“I did receive an invitation when they announced they were getting married,” he admits. “However, they lived in Wales at the time, and I was here in Brooklyn as a leader of the Downworld. I wanted to go, to wish them all their happiness, but the circumstances prevented me from travelling.”

Malachi nods, somewhat content. “Let me shift gears a bit,” he states, stepping back to his desk. “Could you tell me more about Katherine Dunst?”

Magnus blinks.

There’s a sigh from Malachi before he turns over the file. “She went by the nickname ‘Kitty’,” he retorts.

“R-Right,” Magnus stutters.

 _He must’ve not known her real name_ , Alec thinks.

Magnus clears his throat a bit. “Kitty was a young woman I met back in Peru,” he addresses, “She was a fiery, strong-willed young woman who did what she wanted when she wanted.”

“Oh?” Malachi hints with a trace of curiosity to his tone. “Is this why she was always committing crimes in Peru?”

Magnus winces a bit. “I will admit…I didn’t know much about her,” he starts. “However, I do remember that she had grown up in a very poor environment. In that lifestyle, it was ‘fight to survive’.”

Malachi frowns. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but you never held citizenship in Peru, is that right?”

Magnus nods.

“Then could you explain to the court as to why you assisted Ms. Dunst in many of her crimes, despite the fact that you did not come from this ‘fight to survive’ lifestyle?”

“Objection, your honor,” Alec rises. “Peru’s events and crimes are irrelevant to the ca—”

“Are you sure of that, Mr. Lightwood?” Malachi interrupts. “After all, shouldn’t we consider your client’s _complete_ criminal history for this case? Shouldn’t the court be aware that Mr. Bane has committed a plethora of crimes, enough to forbid him from entering a country?!”

The slam of the gavel prevents Alec from snapping back. “Order!” Judge Herondale speaks out. Her brows furrow together as she casts a sour glare to both attorneys. “Your objection is overruled, Mr. Lightwood,” she declares before she turns her gaze to Magnus. “Mr. Bane, if you could answer the present question.”

Magnus is hesitant at first, and the way Magnus’ hand travels up to tug at the collar of his dress shirt is enough to indicate he’s on the verge of panic.

_The yelling._

Alec’s breath catches.

_No._

_Don’t go back to those memories…_

Magnus swallows thickly as his hand lowers back down to his lap. He studies the mahogany furnishing in front of him with a bit of a distant glint in his eyes.

“I have no excuse for what I did,” he admits meekly. “But in a way, I did relate to her way of life.”

A quiet tension settles across the court.

“For most of my childhood after my mother passed away, I had to fight for my life.” He shudders a bit. “Because of who my father is…I had always been labeled as a monster. There were those who believed the world would be safer without me in it,” he admits to the court.

Magnus raises his gaze to Malachi.

“Kitty understood that mindset of being completely alone, and yet there she was, living her own life regardless of what others thought,” he informs. “I will admit, I admired her will to live, despite the unfortunate hand we were both given.”

Malachi takes a minute to process his words. “And who exactly _is_ your father?”

Alec stiffens.

_No._

_Nonononono—_

“Asmodeus Bane,” Magnus states grimly, eyes falling down to his lap.

The declaration surprises the entire court, knocking them off their feet. Murmurs grow louder, and families of the victims fall into hysterics at the information. The gavel slams yet again incessantly, trying to calm the crowd. With each slam, Alec can see Magnus tense.

The yelling and the banging, it’s all too much for him.

And Alec is powerless to help him.

Magnus folds in on himself, whatever confidence he once had now swiftly robbed from him. As a hush comes over the crowd once again, Magnus is struggling to breathe, the collar of his dress shirt suddenly too tight.

As the court quiets again, Malachi clears his throat. “So…your father is Asmodeus Bane,” he repeats, “which I’m sure the court is aware of his case.” He turns back towards Magnus. “And if I’m not mistaken, he is currently serving a life sentence in Edom, is he not?”

Magnus nods hesitantly. “Y-Yes, he is.”

“Did you meet him during your sentence in Edom?” Magnus doesn’t immediately answer. “Well?”

He shifts in his seat nervously. “I…I did,” he admits quietly, and another silent gasp rings through the court.

 _Fuck_ , Alec thinks, _Malachi isn’t messing around._

Malachi steps closer. “So the son of this famous killer joins his father in Edom with the charges of the same murderous crimes,” he muses. “I imagine he was _so_ proud of you, Mr. Bane, so much so that he probably wanted you to join him. Am I wrong about that?”

Alec stiffens.

_Fuck._

He can’t lie on the stand. Magnus is required _by law_ to tell the truth.

“I—” Magnus begins, though his voice wavers. His eyes are wide, full of fear and anxiety. His breathing picks up, somewhat erratic. Alec’s eyes widen as Magnus’ hands come up to tug at his shirt collar once again.

_He can’t breathe._

He’s having a panic attack.

“Answer the question, Mr. Bane,” Judge Herondale orders harshly. But it doesn’t help.

“ _Alec_!” Lydia whispers harshly behind him. “Get him off the stand, now!”

“Your honor!” Alec interjects, rising from his seat, “I request a ten minute recess.”

“Mr. Lightwood, I will not—!”

She raises her voice again and that’s the thing that breaks Magnus’ resolve.

He implodes, the fear and panic washing over him and drowning him.

_He can’t breathe—_

_He can’t—_

The world around him blacks out, he can only focus on one thing:

_He can’t BREATHE—_

His lungs are on fire, oxygen robbed from him. He’s shaking in his bones, fear wracking through him like a chilling cold. He can feel the pressure against him, thick and heavy like water.

_Water…_

_He’s drowning—_

_He can’t breathe—_

“ _Magnus_ ,” a soft voice calls out. It calls out again, and the darkness surrounding Magnus clears a bit. There’s a small pressure against the back of his hand, grazing gently against the skin. It’s soft and warm and—

“ _Magnus,_ ” it calls again.

The fog in his mind clears more as he focuses on the voice calling out his name softly. The familiar gruff, yet quiet tone sounds like…like…

“ _Alec,_ ” Magnus calls out brokenly, voice cracking and throat dry. The fog clears completely, and he finds himself sitting outside the courtroom with a concerned Alec crouching in front of him. He wears a worried expression, hazel eyes stormy.

_When did they leave the courtroom?_

“ _Hey,_ ” Alec greets, wearing a sad smile. “It’s okay, Magnus. I’m here.”

“W-What is—?”

“You’re outside the courtroom,” Alec informs calmly. “I requested a ten minute recess.”

Magnus nods stiffly. His breathing is still off, and his hands still shake in Alec’s.

“Just take some deep breaths,” Alec assures. He breathes in deeply, and Magnus mirrors the gesture. They both release the breath a moment later. It’s a few minutes of this deep breathing in silence before Magnus’ labored breaths stabilize. Alec picks up a water bottle, gently tapping the cap against Magnus’ knee. “Don’t drink all of it too quickly,” he warns, “I don’t want you to cough it up.”

Magnus nods again, taking the water bottle and tipping it back, taking a couple gulps of water to ease his aching, dry throat. He hands the bottle back to Alec. “ _Thank you_ ,” he says softly. It comes out less broken.

There’s another good minute of silence between them, the only being the gentle, sweeping gesture of Alec’s thumb across the back of Magnus’ hand.

“They’re going to bring up Edom again,” Alec informs, “and they’ll be expecting you to answer.” He looks up from their hands to Magnus. “I want you to answer honestly. Don’t think about the events that happened, just say yes.”

Magnus’ brows furrow. “But—”

“Malachi can say whatever the hell he wants after that. I don’t care,” Alec retorts, his words carrying a bit of a bite. “Just know that I’m going to fight back.” His gaze falls to Magnus’ hands, which he holds closer, applying a slight pressure to them. “I won’t let him win this, Magnus. We promised…we promised to be together after this,” he says, lowering his voice to a hushed whisper. “I won’t give up,” he says with certainty, determined hazel eyes coming back up to meet Magnus’. “So don’t give up on me either.”

“ _Never,_ ” Magnus whispers back with a bit more certainty to his voice. “ _I trust you._ ”

There’s a ghost of a smile that flickers across his features, and he squeezes Alec’s hands lightly. The hopeful air floods back around them, the tense atmosphere fading away. There’s a faint warmth surrounding them, and Alec can feel the gentle pull towards Magnus. Closer and closer and…

“Alec!” A voice interrupts, and Alec pulls backward so fast it almost gives him whiplash. He looks up to where Lydia calls from to see her trotting over to them. She stops in front of them, her eyes falling to their joined hands. Alec flushes, but doesn’t turn away. Lydia directs her attention to Magnus. “How are you feeling?”

“Better, thank you,” Magnus says endearingly.

Lydia nods before meeting Alec’s gaze again. “Your time is almost up. Make sure you’re both ready.”

The both of them nod before Alec turns back to Magnus. “Are you ready?”

Magnus’ lips twitch upward in a smirk. “I’m ready to see you kick Malachi’s ass.”

 

~~~~

 

Sitting back at the table, Alec feels another sense of calm overtake him.

_He promised Magnus._

They were going to be together.

He repeats it to himself as Magnus takes the stand yet again.

Malachi rises from his seat, buttoning his jacket and fixing his tie. He strides a couple of paces until he stands in the center of the floor. “Mr. Bane, before our short recess, we were still awaiting an answer. Did Asmodeus Bane approach you about joining him?”

Magnus takes a breath, eyes flitting over to Alec. Alec nods back to him. “Yes, he did.”

There’s another silent, collective gasp.

Malachi nods, seemingly pleased with himself. “No further questions your honor.”

The ball is now in Alec’s court.

Alec rises with confidence. “Let me begin with what Mr. Dieudonné was inferring,” Alec starts. “It is true that my client’s father currently serves a lifetime sentence in Edom. Though he did approach you, Mr. Bane,” Alec trails, “I don’t believe it was formally asked whether or not you actually _accepted_ his offer.”

Eyes zone in on Magnus, the whole court seemingly leaning closer for his answer.

“I did not accept his offer,” Magnus affirms. “For every time he offered, I refused.”

Alec nods. “And I imagine they did not treat you kindly afterwards, is that correct?”

“Yes sir.”

Alec turns back to his table, and his peripherals catch Malachi’s disparaging look. He takes a file. “I would like to make the court aware of these present files,” he states, handing the stack of papers to one of the jurors. “These files are infirmary records from Edom. As you can see, there are a wide variety of records for my client.”

The first juror passes the stack onto another juror.

“According to these files, there was barely a day where my client was not admitted with some form of physical injury,” he informs. “The first file also indicates that my client came in with a large quantity of water in his lungs.” He turns back to Magnus, who takes a few deep breaths. “Is it true that other inmates attacked you in Edom because you refused Asmodeus’ offer?”

There’s a brief pause before Magnus speaks up. “That is correct, Mr. Lightwood.”

Alec shifts his weight on his feet. “Could you explain _why_ you rejected Asmodeus’ offer?”

The question itself carries a large weight, but it doesn’t take hardly any time for Magnus to formulate an answer. “Asmodeus offered me safety, a chance to live a ‘peaceful’ life during my time in Edom,” he begins. “I’m sure that any other inmate would have accepted his offer. It would make sense to, wouldn’t it?” He looks up and out towards the court. “I rejected his offer because I knew joining him would only end badly. If I stood on this stand and said ‘yes, I did take his offer’ this trial would have gone very differently.”

“So are you insinuating that you rejected the offer for convenience?” Alec asks to clarify.

Magnus shakes his head. “I rejected his offer because although he may have been the one to help give birth to me, I never once considered him as my father." Magnus' brows crease together. "Father's are just and kind, and are there to help guide you through your struggles in life. They are there to be a friend, an accomplice, or a role model when necessary." He frowns. "Asmodeus is none of those things, Mr. Lightwood. My mother was my role model, my rock and sanctuary, and she had been the best embodiment of a parental figure I could ask for."

Alec nods, taking in the hushed atmosphere surrounding them. The tension of the court has settled a bit, and Magnus has begun to make it clear that he has no motivation of ever connecting with his father.

"Let us return back to Katherine Dunst," Alec transitions, taking the infirmary files from the jury. "You claimed she was a strong-willed woman who had done what she wanted, and that you admired her for that."

"Yes, that's correct."

Alec looks up to Magnus. "Did her actions ever get you convicted?"

Magnus takes a moment before shaking his head. "The worst thing that happened is we were placed in a holding cell. She got a little too wild, and they tugged me along since I was with her," he informs. 

He nods before turning back to his files. "Did you ever feel resentment about some of the things she did?" He looks down to a file, turning the page. "For example, when she stole a series of jewels from a market stand?"

Magnus brows furrow. "There were some things she did that I didn't think were the best decisions," he begins, "but she also surprised me in some ways. That day she stole those jewels, she turned around and gave them to an orphanage struggling to get by to provide for their children." He looks to Alec. 

"Did she keep one for herself?"

Magnus shrugs. "I'm not sure, but I wouldn't have been surprised if she had." He looks down to his lap. "For all the things she did, I don't resent her for anything. Everything that I was dragged into was of my own accord. I could have left at any time, but I didn't. And I'm glad I didn't," he adds, "for I got to see a completely different side of life through her eyes and experiences."

"Did you ever happen to see her again after your travels to Peru?"

Magnus shakes his head. "I never heard from her after we parted, no."

"How about Linette Owens?" Alec asks, transitioning back to the first victim discussed. "You mentioned that you heard from her and Mr. Owens briefly when they announced their marriage in Wales. Did you ever feel any resentment towards either of them for their actions? Did you feel resentment towards Mr. Owens for having interest in Mrs. Owens over yourself?"

Magnus shakes his head again. "No, Mr. Lightwood. They were dear friends of mine when I was younger, and I treasured them both. Not once did I regret my decision to step away from Linette. The way those two looked at each other was...you could see every ounce of love that had for one another." He licks his bottom lip a bit, as he raises his eyes to Alec. The warm, dark brown hues are full of emotion, but not the stormy emotions of past loves and loss. No...it's the look he always gives Alec, like he's hung the stars in the sky, full of warmth and endearment. 

Magnus' small smile returns to his face as he looks at Alec. "I just hoped that one day I could look at someone that same way," he confesses. "To tell someone how much I love them with no more than a glance and know they feel the same as I do."

Alec resists the urge to blush. It's obvious to Alec that Magnus is talking directly to him, not the court. His eyes are unwavering, trained directly at Alec. He processes Magnus' words over again to try and formulate a question, but his mind only focuses on one thing. 

  _To tell someone how much I love them._

Does he dare say that it's a hidden declaration of his feelings? Magnus has never been one to beat around the bush, and he's made it clear in the past few weeks that he  _wants_  Alec. But love? Does Magnus really  _love him?_

He realizes he's probably sitting in a bit of awkward silence. "Alright, um..." He trails, and a slight smirk by Magnus shows that he knows that he took Alec by surprise. He looks to his files. "I have no further questions, your honor."

Judge Herondale gives him a hesitant look, and Alec nods to affirm his decision. "Very well. Mr. Dieudonné, call your next witness," she states as Magnus takes his seat back next to Alec. 

" _Did you mean it_?" Alec whispers when Magnus sits down. He glances over to see a soft smile crossing Magnus' lips. 

" _I believe it's against the law to lie on the stand, isn't it darling?_ " Magnus whispers back with pride. 

Alec has to muster all the energy he can to not turn into a blushing mess. That and trying to resist the urge to just smother Magnus in kisses.

 _Later,_  he promises himself.  _Later._

"Ms. Lightwood," Malachi calls out, pulling Alec's attention back to the court. Izzy now sits at the stand, similarly dressed as she was for Imasu's trial. She wears a dark dress under her lab coat, paired with bright red pumps to match her favorite lipstick shade and her hair is done up in a bun. Malachi approaches her. "Could you tell the court of your findings of Mrs. Owens and Ms. Dunst's autopsy results?"

Izzy takes a breath. "Mrs. Owens and Ms. Dunst both had similar autopsy findings as we've seen with the other 15 victims thus far," she indicates. A slide on the projector shows ligature marks. "All the bodies sustained heavy ligature marks on their wrists, ankles, and necks. Both also had traces of handmade poisons within their systems. Mrs. Owens was found in her Brooklyn townhome with scorch wounds and burn marks on her body of varying degrees," she informs. "Ms. Dunst on the other hand was found on the floor of her apartment near Queens, and her cause of death was a bullet to the stomach. She bled out."

"Let us begin with Mrs. Owens," Malachi suggests. "Was her cause of death immediate?"

Izzy shakes her head. "No sir, many—if not all—of the victims suffered slow deaths," she informs. "The ligature marks ingrained in her wrists and ankles indicate that she was restrained for an extended period of time. The progressive amount of burn marks on her skin and their varying intensities also indicate the same thing."

Malachi hums. "Did you come to a conclusion on what could've made these burn marks?"

"We determined it was most likely a lighter, however there were some areas of skin that had been marred completely of the tissue. We detected traces of oil and gasoline painted around those areas of the skin, so most likely the burning was used as a tactic for torture."

Alec can hear Magnus take in a breath in shock.  _He doesn't know the autopsy details_ , Alec remembers. He looks over to Magnus and nudges his foot with his own, a subtle enough indication to show comfort. With the slight smile in Alec's direction, he knows Magnus appreciates it.

"And what was Mrs. Owens' cause of death?" 

Izzy takes in a breath. "We determined that she died by strangulation, sir. Most likely the pain of the burns caused her to move too much in the restraints, tightening the one around her neck. Damage to the trachea and the discolored bruising on her neck also seemed to indicate the possibility of strangulation."

"Are you sure she was not strangled by human hands?"

"There were no fingerprints or traces of marks on her skin to indicate such," Izzy fires back. "Everything done was to ensure that there were no possible traces of DNA that we could identify as to who killed her."

Malachi nods. "And Katherine Dunst? You said she was shot?"

"Ms. Dunst bled out, yes." 

"Were you able to determine what type of gun was used?"

"Based on ballistics, we were able to narrow down the gun between the AMT Hardballer and the M1911 pistol, one of which is another police grade model that was traded out for the Beretta Model 92 last year." 

"And how easy do you suppose those models are to acquire?"

Izzy's brows furrow. "It depends. The M1911 pistol is fairly easy to acquire, as anyone in a gun store could probably recommend it to you as a first choice. It's quick, easy, and efficient. The AMT is a bit trickier though, because it's an old model that went out of remission years ago. Unless you have one on hand or know someone who does, it's practically impossible to acquire nowadays."

Malachi nods to her, processing her information. "Did you find any indication of prints on either scene?" 

Izzy makes a face. "Unfortunately, no, we weren't able to find hardly any prints at either crime scene," Izzy reports. "Like I said before, Mrs. Owens had no handprints or markings on her skin to indicate manual strangulation. Ms. Dunst's crime scene was surprisingly clean as well. There were no footprint markings of blood and every surface we swabbed only came back with one set of prints, which were Ms. Dunst's."

"You didn't mention the presence of footprints at Mrs. Owens' crime scene," Malachi notes. "Were there no footprints at her scene?" He prods.

Izzy opens her mouth to retort, but stops. "You know, actually there was." Her brows crease together as she tries to remember. "We saw some scuffle marks on the floor, originally, but thought that they might have been caused by the chair. However, we determined shortly after that those markings were too far away for it to be a chair."

"So are you suggesting that these were possibly created by the killer?"

Izzy nods. "It is indeed a possibility, sir. But more likely than not, it indicates a scuffle between Linette and her attacker, as marks like that could only be made with thin heels."

Magnus' brows furrow at that. " _Linette never wore thin heels,_ " he whispers. " _She could never walk in a straight line with them, so she always wore thick, chunky heels if any._ "

Alec frowns, but before he can retort anything to Magnus, his name is called by Judge Herondale. "Present your defense, Mr. Lightwood."

Alec approaches the stand towards his sister. "Ms. Lightwood, I understand that these two ladies, as well as the other 15 victims my client is accused of killing have traces of handmade poison within their veins," he begins. "Were you able to determine what concoction made up the poison?"

Izzy shakes her head. "Not completely, though we did happen to find traces of scopolamine and hyoscyamine, which are toxins known to cause delirium and hallucinations upon exposure." She looks up to Alec. "In each case, the poison's entry point was found consistently around the neck area, just shy of the trapezius muscles."

"And why do you suppose that is?"

"This point in the neck has leads to the internal jugular vein, a vein that carries right into the heart, and thus the poison injected can spread quickly throughout the body. Depending on the dosage, it can kill someone within minutes."

"But all these dosages seemed to be low, is that correct?"

Izzy nods. "My assumption is that small dosages were provided to destabilizethe victim in order to restrain them. More may have been given though as a means of torture, killing them slowly as the MO accentuates," she notes.

Alec nods again, seemingly content with the information. He turns back towards his table, turning a set of files towards him. His eyes scan over the papers. "Ms. Lightwood, it appears here in your file notes that you found quote 'a strange symbol engraved into the back of her neck'," he reads out for the court. "Could you tell us more about this mark?" 

Izzy sits up a bit straighter. "Yes, I noticed as with all the victims of this case a small, diamond-like pattern was engraved into the victim's necks, just below the hairline of each individual. The engraving is not very deep, and was always conducted post-mortem given the lack of blood surrounding the affected area."

"And regardless of whether the victim was shot, poisoned, or burned, the mark was present on every body?"

"That is correct."

Alec steps back from the desk and towards his sister. "I only have one last question for you, Ms. Lightwood," Alec begins. "Given the presented evidence, are you led to believe that this habit of poisonings and marking the victims is instinctual?"

"I believe that is a compulsion, yes," she affirms. And with that, Alec turns over his questions. 

When he sits, Magnus looks at him with slight confusion. " _What was the point of that last question?_ " Magnus asks.

Alec leans over to him slightly.  _"I'm hinting at the possibility of a serial murderer,_ " he tells. " _Serial murderers are driven by a compulsion to participate in a certain act. In this case, it's that mark_. _"_

Magnus frowns as Izzy leaves the stand. " _God, I hope you're sure about this,_ " he quips with a sigh. 

He is, he knows. Alec is determined to win this case.

And nothing will shake him from it.

 

~~~~

 

The trial continues forward, with various people coming up to the stand to testify on their accounts. Some are unaware of who Magnus is, and so they paint him immediately as criminal who should be behind bars. But Alec doesn't let this deter him, because though their claims could be concerning, the evidence right now makes no indications towards Magnus' involvement.

 _There's hope_ , Alec thinks as Luke takes the stand next. Malachi approaches him at the stand.

"Captain Garroway," Malachi begins, "Could you begin by telling the court how exactly you determined that Mr. Bane was the one who killed these people?"

Luke stiffens, frowning a bit as he turns to Malachi. "Originally, we didn't think anything of it. When the first two or three bodies appeared, we had some concerns. But it wasn't until we determined that they all had similar markings on the that we began to see them as serial."

Malachi nods. Luke continues.

"We began looking into forensics and crime scenes," he illustrates. "The crime scenes were often inconclusive, however, because for the most part, they were either very orderly or completely disorganized. At first, the scenes were chaotic, and we saw a trend of them getting increasingly neater. We assumed that whoever was killing them was learning as they went."

He frowns again. "However, there were often times where another disorderly scene would appear, as if they went back to their old ways. The disordered scenes were rather sloppy, and not a lot of care was taken to ensure that we couldn't get any DNA from them."

"Did you manage to find Mr. Bane's DNA on anything from these murders?"

Luke takes a breath. "Only one," he informs. "And that was found on Dot Rollins' body. The necklace she wore had traces of his fingerprints on it."

There's a hushed whisper that sweeps over the crowd. Magnus holds his breath. "And is this what led you to his arrest?" 

Luke nods. "It was our defining factor, yes. However, the fact he had an apothecary filled with potentially harmful chemicals and the fact he knew all of the victims were also important factors that led us to his arrest."

Malachi hums. "I see. How about the timing of such murders? Did the timing of which they occur have anything to do with it?"

Luke ponders this for a few minutes. "I suppose. Originally, the first three or four victims were killed across a broad timespan, but as he became more and more confident with kills, the time between kills became shorter and shorter."

"Did any of these dates indicate significance to the victims?"

"We looked at things like birthdays, anniversary dates, or other important milestones in the victims lives first," he begins. "It wasn't until we interviewed friends and family or did our own digging that we found the dates they were murdered coincided with the dates Mr. Bane met them," Luke reports.

Alec looks down at his files, and then to Magnus, who only nods in response. He frowns.

Malachi flashes a small smile, confident that this information has done more to convict Magnus than to prove his innocence. With this satisfaction, he turns over questions to Alec.

Alec rises from his desk, and he reminds himself that  _they have the evidence._  No matter what Malachi does, there is one factor that won't change, and that's the fact that these crimes weren't committed by Magnus. 

He takes a deep breath.

"Captain Garroway, I understand that you have been continually monitoring my client since his initial arrest. Since then, has there been any indication of malevolence in his behavior?”

Luke shakes his head. "Mr. Bane has been sincerely compliant with us for the entirety of his holdings in house arrest," he informs. "He has shown both my squad and myself nothing but kindness. He's complied with our requests and has never laid a harmful hand on any of my officers."

Alec nods. "Let me shift gears a bit. From what I understand, you had a mission in the Downworld at one point," Alec explains. "You met my client then. Did he ever give any indication that he wanted to kill anyone at that time?"

Luke shakes his head. "Despite being a leader in the Downworld years ago, Mr. Bane never really showed any traits of what we usually see in serial murderers. Typically we see aggression, particularly towards a certain group of people, and certain tendencies such as abuse can often point towards habits of serial murderers as well."

"If he did not show those tendencies, Captain Garroway, then what was his apparent behavior as an active member of the Downworld at that current point?"

"During that time, Mr. Bane was—as you said—an active member of the Downworld. As such, he was to be an example for his people. Mr. Bane was actually very kind and a peaceful man," he states, "and he hardly relied on violence to deal with problems. He was firm with his decisions, and did not make light of insubordination or violence against those not involved in the Downworld." He looks to Magnus. "You could tell he cared deeply for his people, and worked with them instead of over them."

Alec nods. "Let us refer back to our current victims," Alec transitions. "Tell us a bit more about Ms. Dunst's crime scene."

"Well, the crime scene was one of the more orderly scenes that we've witnessed," he starts. "Ms. Dunst was found in her apartment near Queens in her living room. She was found on the floor of the apartment, not bound to anything despite the ligature marks on her wrists. She was also dressed casually, which gave us insight that she had been home for some time before her murder."

"And was there any means of forced entry?"

"None, Mr. Lightwood," Luke affirms. "Which means she willingly opened the door for whomever visited her that evening." He takes a breath. "She was also found to have sustained a single bullet wound to the stomach, and left to bleed out."

"Did you determine anything else from her crime scene?"

Luke ponders the thought a bit. "We did happen to look through her things, and we happened to find a picture of her and Mr. Bane in one of the bookshelves. The bookshelf itself was in a state of disarray at that point."

"As if someone were searching for something?"

"It indicated such, yes."

Alec hums. "Did anything else catch your eye?"

"Based on what her companions had told us, she always wore a locket around her neck with her current boyfriend's picture in it," he states. "But we were unable to find it at that point. We assumed that it might have been taken or lost in the time of her murder."

Alec nods, though the last bit of this information tugs at his mind a bit. "What about Mrs. Owens' scene? Could you explain that to us?"

Luke nods as he begins to describe Linette's crime scene. "Unlike Ms. Dunst's crime scene, Mrs. Owens was found in her bedroom tied to one of the dining room chairs, which we suspected was most likely dragged into the room. She was stripped of most of her clothing, in nothing more than her underwear. We assumed it was to demean her as a woman, as most scenes we find like this run along those lines."

Alec scans over Linette's file, nodding as Luke presents all the evidence written on the records. "Ms. Lightwood stated that her COD was strangulation, is that correct?"

Luke nods. "She was still bound tightly to the chair when we found her," he describes. "And we found that she had the most bruising around her neck, as well as the entry point to whatever dosage of poison she was given."

"How long had it been after her death when you found her?"

"According to our forensics team, about 24 hours."

Alec nods in confirmation as he turns back towards the file, scanning its contents. It's fairly straightforward, reading similarly to Kitty's, so there's no real reason to—

_Wait a minute._

Alec's eyes zone in on something on the file. "According to your initial search, you said that Mrs. Owens' wedding ring was missing?"

Luke nods. "Her husband told us she always wears it and hadn't taken it off since the day they married," he notes. "We searched the entire home, but never found the ring."

_There's no way..._

Alec looks back over his shoulder to Magnus, who also wears a shocked look of concern. He can see the gears turning in Magnus' head too.  _Surely it isn't—_

 _Camille_ , Magnus mouths as his gaze falls to the table. There's a heated glare behind them. His posture grows more rigid as the seething rage builds up in his frame. 

Surely it couldn't be... _right?_  Alec thinks. Camille's MO had been exsanguination and stealing precious items, but Linette wasn't drained of her blood. Neither was Kitty. Linette was tortured and strangled while Kitty was shot. Why would she suddenly change an MO when—?

Alec's eyes widen.

_No..._

_It's not possible._

_There's not just a possibility, it's a definite fact._

Aline's voice runs rampant through Alec's head. There were  _two killers._ Suddenly it seems clearer. With the exsanguinations and the Manhattan murders, scratch marks across the floor had been found just like Linette's scene, but the victims then didn't have any shoes that could create such marks. And some of those victims were Downworlders...Downworlder murders with no affiliation to Magnus. 

  They deduced that the exsanguinations were Camille's doing, and because one of her victims was paired with the one of Downworlder murders, Alec suddenly realizes.

_Camille is one of the two culprits behind the Downworlder murders._

And since they've deduced that the murders in Brooklyn and Manhattan were committed by the same people...

_Camille is one of the very people trying to incriminate Magnus._

Alec can hardly believe it. He turns back to the table to see Magnus has most likely drawn the same conclusions. His gaze is stuck between betrayal, disappointment, and anger. His shoulders shake, but Alec can tell it's no longer from nerves.

_Camille is killing Downworlders AND mundanes._

_Camille is killing people who meant the most to Magnus._

_She's the one who is trying to send Magnus to prison._

_But why?_  Is Alec's first question. Why would Camille start killing people and trying to incriminate Magnus when he wasn't even part of the Downworld anymore? If she was part of the Downworld, why would she want to bring this much attention to it? She had nothing to gain from Magnus' sentence except—

Alec's eyes go wide.

_Power._

Of course that's what it would be. Magnus was a leader of the Downworld, one many people respected. Being convicted shook the Downworld, and many of the Warlocks had started to doubt the intentions of their leaders. Maia had said it herself...Camille was making moves to take over the Warlock subgroup. 

And this, this was her ultimate move.

"Mr. Lightwood," Judge Herondale interrupts, looking down at him with a frown. "I asked 'Do you have any more questions?'"

Alec gapes a bit before trying to respond. "N-No, that is all, your honor," he stutters out. She rolls her eyes, turning over questions as Alec fumbles back into his seat. " _Magnus—_ "

" _I know,_ " he whispers harshly, his hands balled into fists. "I know."

Alec tries to calm the sick feeling in his gut, and it's then that Judge Herondale declares a small recess for lunch. Alec sighs.

_Now things are starting to get interesting._

 

~~~~

 

After the short break for lunch, they head back into the courtroom to repeat the process again for a few of the other victims. By the end of the first session, the sun has just disappeared beyond the horizon. 

Alec lets out a large huff as he throws open the door to Magnus' home. "Dear God, I'm exhausted."

Magnus trails in behind him, closing the door with his cuffed hands in front of him. "You and me both," he agrees. "If the subject matter were lighter, I feel like it would be fine but," he presses his head against the door, "it's not."

" _Hey_ ," Alec calls, his warm body pressing gently up against Magnus'. He uncuffs Magnus’ hand, soon enveloping him in a calming hug. " _It'll be alright._ "

A brief silence passes over the both of them, the somber note growing louder between them. Finally, Magnus speaks up.

"Camille is killing people," he says with definition. There's spite subtly behind the words, but it's sadder than anything else.

"She's killing Downworlders and mundanes," Alec affirms. "And it's all for power in the Downworld."

Magnus breaks away from Alec's hold, taking angry strides into his kitchen. He throws open some of the cupboards. "I should've seen it coming," he starts, rage seething in his words. "She was killing mundanes, and I was going to turn her in but then—"

He fumbles around with the mugs, his moves aggravated.

"Magnus," Alec calls, but Magnus fails to listen, continuing to angrily make coffee. He pulls off a mug from the shelf and as it reflects back at him, his face turns into a frown. With an angry grunt, he throws the cup, shattering it against the counter. He goes to reach for another mug. "Magnus!" Alec shouts, running over to take the mug from Magnus' hand. He notices that Magnus' hands are shaking now. 

The strength in his knees disappears as gravity takes him down to the floor. Alec squats next to him, still holding his wrist gently. His breathing is a bit labored and tears prick at his eyelids.

"I shouldn't have let her go," he states weakly. "If I had just turned her in...maybe then Linette and Kitty and Dot would've—" he chokes on a sob, the tears that threatened to escape now trailing down his cheeks.

Alec leans forward, embracing him gently. "You couldn't have known, Magnus. None of us could. What Camille did...no one could have expected that."

Magnus shakes his head. "If anyone could've pulled something like this off, it's her." His brows furrow together. "I just can't believe I never saw it until now."

"You hardly knew the autopsy details, Magnus," Alec reminds him. "It wouldn't have been obvious at all if you never said anything about Camille's previous murders."

Magnus' conflicted gaze drops to his lap, and Alec knows he's trying to blame himself. 

" _Hey,"_ Alec calls, tipping Magnus' chin so that his eyes meet Alec's, " _We're going to prove you're innocent, Magnus, and I swear, the minute you're a free man, we'll do everything we can to catch her._ "

Magnus glances over his features, his harsh gaze softening at Alec's words and comforting demeanor. He nods weakly. 

"We will serve justice to those 17 people," Alec states, "and we will serve justice for every Downworlder and mundane she has brought misery to." Determination swirls in Alec's stormy hazel eyes. "I won't let her get away with this, Magnus.  _Never._ "

Alec leans forward, pressing a reassuring kiss to Magnus' lips.

They will get justice.

He's certain of it.

 

~~~~

 

Within the next hour, they've calmed down. After a meal and a bit of  _Project Runway_ , Magnus peels himself off the couch. 

"I'm going to take off my makeup," he states. "God knows the tears from earlier ruined it all anyways."

Alec chuckles, walking with Magnus back into his room and towards the bathroom. Alec unbuttons his vest, dropping it on a chair sitting tucked in the corner. He loosens his tie a bit so that it doesn't remain stiff at his collar. He walks into the bathroom to see Magnus stationed at the sink, leaning over it and looking in the mirror. He's got a makeup wipe in hand, brushing away a bit of concealer at his neck, revealing some of the purple hickey marks from a few days ago. 

"I swear, you must have been a vampire at some point," Magnus jokes, "cause you make hickeys almost impossible to hide." 

Alec chuckles, stationing himself on the edge of the tub that sits across from the vanity. "I promise, I'm no vampire. I walk in the sun and I can hardly stay awake past 10," he states. 

Magnus rolls his eyes. "You could just be an odd vampire," he retorts.

"One that walks in the daylight?"

Magnus scowls at his joking tone, looking at him through the mirror. Alec can't help but laugh as Magnus continues to take off his makeup, grumbling under his breath.

It's here—Alec realizes—that he quite enjoys the way he feels with Magnus. He enjoys the quiet comfort between them, how they can both joke around with each other despite the heavy circumstances they've been put in. He loves the way that Magnus smiles more than he used to. He loves the way that Magnus looks at him with those soft brown eyes and—

And he just... _loves_  Magnus.

 

_To tell someone how much I love them with no more than a glance_

_and know they feel the same as I do._

 

 _The way Linette and Edmund looked at each other_ , Alec remembers.

Magnus said he looks at Alec that way. 

_But did Alec?_

Alec glances up, watching as Magnus wipes away the dark liner from his eyes. "Magnus?"

"Hm?"

"I look at you that way too."

Magnus stops his ministrations, looking back at Alec through the mirror with a confused look. 

Alec blushes a bit as he continues. "The way you said Linette and Edmund looked at each other, how you could just see the care and emotions they held for one another," he trails, looking back up towards Magnus, "I look at you that way too."

Magnus gives a surprised look, mouth falling open slightly as his hand drops the cleaning wipe. Alec closes the distance between them, his head resting on Magnus' shoulder as he wraps his arms around Magnus' waist. He looks at Magnus' face in the mirror. 

"Magnus, I—" He tries not to look away from Magnus' gaze in the mirror. "I love you."

It's a bold and dangerous declaration. There's so much meaning in his words, and the emotion displayed in them is meaningful, but also has a trace of vulnerability to them. He shouldn't have said it this early. They haven't even gone out on a date yet. But after what happened in court earlier he can't help but—

Magnus breaks from Alec's hold quickly, and Alec panics, but a second later, Magnus turns so they face each other. His hands are quickly wrung around the back of Alec's neck, pulling him into a searing kiss. It starts out a bit rushed, as both of them are overwhelmed with emotions, but it soon slows, turning into languid and meaningful kisses. Magnus' tongue brushes against Alec's, and his toes curl in response. 

_God, he could kiss Magnus forever._

Magnus pulls away a fraction and Alec chases his lips a bit desperately. But Magnus doesn't go back in for another kiss. His brown eyes are glowing under the light, one still rimmed in the dark liner while the other is absent of it. It doesn't distract Alec from noticing the bright warmth Magnus emits against him. 

Magnus' hand comes up to brush Alec's smooth cheek—as he shaved for his court session—the pad of his thumb brushing against the skin there gently. The brightest, most genuine smile Alec has ever seen crosses against Magnus' face, his eyes crinkling slightly. 

"I love you too, Alexander," he confesses. "I love you so much."

His heart soars at the words. He leans back in for another kiss, this time more heated and passionate. His hands fall from their position at Magnus' waist and curve around his ass, pulling a deep, crackling groan from him. He raises Magnus up, lifting him so that he comes to sit on the bathroom counter. 

Alec presses up against him more—if that's at all possible—and swiftly grinds his hips against Magnus'. He can feel Magnus' dick twitch in his pants as he moves, and the action draws out another moan from Alec.

Magnus' hands venture from the back of Alec's neck and down to his shoulders. As Alec begins to grind against him, Magnus moans and his hands continue to venture everywhere, trying to touch every part of Alec he can and—

And if this doesn't stop, they'll be in trouble. 

Magnus' hands find Alec's pectorals under the restricting fabric of his dress shirt. He pushes back, separating their searing hot kiss. They're both panting and flustered, the evidence of their feelings written in their eyes. 

"Despite how much I want to fuck you right now," Magnus groans, "it would be bad if you went into court tomorrow with a limp."

Alec laughs against Magnus' lips, grinding against him yet again. He wants Magnus  _so much_  and after being interrupted last time, he's determined that this will end differently. He grinds down again, feeling Magnus' cock twitch again in his slacks.

" _I don't care,_ " Alec manages to say in a breathless tone. He juts his hips up again. "I don't care if I go into court with a limp or not, I just—" he cuts the thought off with a groan as Magnus' hands run across the waistband of his pants teasingly, " _God, please fuck me Magnus._ "

The moan Magnus emits is loud as he goes back in to press desperate kisses to Alec's lips. He pushes off the counter, standing back up into Alec's space as he takes a hold of the loosened tie around Alec's neck, dragging him back towards the bedroom. 

" _Since you asked nicely_ ," Magnus trails, voice low and lustful. He pushes Alec down to the bed, quickly ridding him of the tie and the shirt. He straddles Alec's hips, grinding playfully and making them both moan in unison. 

Alec's brain is everywhere all at once. His skin prickles in anticipation and his cock jerks with aching want. " _M-Magnus,_ " he pleads out desperately, " _please, I need you inside me. I want to feel you fuck me to oblivion._ "

Magnus groans out with how  _filthy_  it sounds coming from Alec's mouth. He pulls off Alec's slacks in what must be record time until Alec is just left in his underwear. Alec is just as desperate, pulling off his clothes and whining when the buttons of his dress shirt give him some trouble. Magnus chuckles. " _Let me help you with that, love._ "

He eventually throws off the shirt somewhere behind him, joining the rest of their clothes somewhere in the room. He presses Alec further down into the mattress.

" _How do you want me_?"

Alec throws his head back breathlessly as Magnus' deft hands work across his thighs, achingly close to his cock. " _Fuck, Magnus,_ " he moans out, " _Any way you want me, just get inside me._ "

Magnus chuckles again at that as he works off his own boxer-briefs along with Alec's. Alec moans at the sight of Magnus' thick cock and palms over his own a couple of times to relieve some sort of tension in his body. 

There's a bit of rifling around in the nightstand next to him before Magnus turns back to him with lube and a condom. He uncaps the lube, pouring a generous amount on his fingers and spreading it around to warm it up. Alec squirms a bit as Magnus' hungry eyes take in all of Alec. He presses his first finger against Alec's awaiting heat. 

" _I'm not just going to fuck you_ ," Magnus states, sliding his first finger past Alec's ring of muscle. He prods forward, gently massaging Alec's walls as they clench around his finger. Magnus lowers himself so his mouth is barely an inch away from Alec's ear. " _I'm going to make love to you. I'll show you every inch of affection I have for you, my darling Alexander_."

Alec moans as Magnus' second finger enters into him. He cries out in pleasure as Magnus begins to scissor him open. " _Nnnn_ — _Magnus, please._ "

It doesn't take long for Magnus to add a third finger, thrusting up into Alec and crooning his fingers in various directions trying to find the spot that will make Alec go insane. He pumps into Alec a couple more times, moving his fingers slightly to the left and—

Alec practically screams as Magnus brushes his prostate. His dick jumps at the sensation and his hips buck in retaliation to Magnus' movements. Magnus leans down to Alec's cock, brushing the flat of his tongue across the tip to lick away some of the precum budding at the top. 

"E-Enough teasing," Alec stammers out. "I don't know if I can take anymore."

Magnus only smirks, dragging out his fingers. It makes Alec let out a dissatisfied groan, suddenly feeling empty. The sound of the condom wrapper tearing is loud against the stark silence of the room, and Alec watches with lust blown eyes as Magnus rolls the condom over his cock. 

They lock eyes for a moment as Magnus positions himself over Alec, the tip of his cock pressed against Alec's awaiting entrance. 

" _I love you,_ " Magnus says softly, full of endearment and passion. He presses soft kisses against Alec's lips, down his jawline and across his collarbones, leaving Alec breathless.

" _I love you too, Magnus,_ " Alec replies, and with that Magnus presses forward, the head of his cock pushing into Alec. Alec's moan starts out low, but with every inch Magnus presses into him, his pitch only goes higher. He arches his back as Magnus presses further in, hands stationed at the curve of Magnus' ass, encouraging him forward. His cock is  _huge_  inside of Alec, stretching him so much. 

He feels so full with Magnus inside him. So full and so loved.

The slight burn soon dissipates, and Alec grinds down against Magnus. " _Move,_ " he orders.

Magnus obliges, dragging his hips back until the head of his cock is the only part of him still in Alec. Then, he's suddenly pushing back into Alec with a passionate, determined force and Alec can feel everything all at once as Magnus pounds back into him. His toes curl and he throws his head back at the action. Magnus repeats the action again and again, slowly building speed until the only sounds between them are their varying moans and the sound of skin against skin. 

It's a few moments of this before Magnus finds that spot again, and the first time his cock brushes past it, Alec is almost surging off the bed. The moan he emits is so sinful it has Magnus practically asking for forgiveness. Determined to hear it again, he aims for the same spot with another thrust. Alec moans into his mouth, his desperate actions somehow heightened more. Magnus lowers one of his hands so that it caresses Alec's aching cock.

Alec feels so much all at once, the combined sensations of Magnus' thrusts and his touches against his aching cock have him a mewling, moaning mess. A particularly harsh stroke to his cock is timed perfectly with a thrust, and that's it. He can't take it anymore.

With a loud, guttural moan of Magnus' name, Alec cums, spurting between the two of them. He clenches around Magnus, and the heat is suddenly too enveloping, too tight, and too much for Magnus. He thrusts more aggressively, desperate to chase his oncoming release. With moans and caresses from the blissed-out Alec under him, Magnus teeters over the edge. He hits Alec's prostate once more before he groans out brokenly, his cum shooting out in spurts as it covers the condom. He suddenly feels soft, melting around Alec as he all but collapses against him. 

" _Fuck, Magnus,_ " Alec groans. " _That was—_ "

" _Amazing,_ " Magnus finishes. He opens his eyes, his gaze focusing on Alec, who looks at him endearingly. " _I love you,_ " he whispers again, softly against Alec's skin.

Alec hums, and the sensation vibrates Magnus' core as he pulls forward, capturing Magnus' lips in a soft, chaste kiss. When the part, Magnus brushes his nose against Alec's softly. " _I'll be right back, okay?_ "

Alec hums again begrudgingly, his lips turning down into a frown as his dark brows crease together. " _Noooo,_ " he whines, hands finding Magnus' biceps. " _Stay._ "

Magnus chuckles again. " _You have cum all over you, my dear. I'm just going to get a washcloth to wipe it off. Trust me, you'll thank me in the morning._ "

Alec whines again, mumbling something about how he does have a point. Magnus pecks another soft kiss to Alec's lips before he pulls out, causing Alec to groan again. He maneuvers off the bed, peeling off the condom and disposing of it in the wastebasket. He goes to the bathroom, running a soft red washcloth under the warm water before returning to Alec's side. 

There's nothing but silent hums and whispers of  _I love you's_  between them as Magnus cleans up. Once their sufficiently clean, he throws the washcloth off somewhere, cuddling against Alec and drawing the sheets up around them.

"Tomorrow," Alec begins, his voice hoarse and wrecked. Magnus looks up at him questioningly and Alec only smiles at him. "Tomorrow, you'll be a free man, and you'll be my boyfriend."

Magnus looks down at him, eyes hooded and glazed with love. " _Tomorrow,_ " he promises, pressing one last kiss to Alec's lips. 

It's then that they fall into a blissful sleep, wrapped up in the warmth of each other's bodies and their feelings of love. 

It may as well be the best sleep Magnus has had since Edom.

 

~~~~

 

Alec walks into court the next day with a slight limp. 

For the most part, no one really notices. Izzy does, as she gives a knowing look and a soft giggle, both of which made Alec blush. But either than that, no one really seems to comment on it. 

And for the majority of the trial, he doesn't even show any trace of pain. Though he has to restrain himself from yelping out every time he sits down, by the fourth or fifth time he has to sit down, he's used to it. Each time he turns back from the stand, however, Magnus is there, meeting his gaze with a bit of a lustful glint to his eyes. 

 _He did that to Alec_ , and Magnus is too damn proud of it.

The second trial day is almost just as monotonous as the first. They go through almost the entire other half of victims, and as the end of the day draws closer, it's obvious the toll it's taking on everyone. There's only one more victim to go over: Dorothea Rollins. 

They've gone over the gist of her case. She was found in the early evening, lying lifeless on her couch with a drink of whiskey poured and a 50s tune playing on her vintage gramophone. (" _She always did love to dance,"_  Magnus had whispered to him). Though she had faint ligature marks on her wrists and ankles, what did her in was the potent poison through her veins. According to Izzy, the dosage was the largest she had seen, and that it had taken a physical toll on her body, turning a lot of the veins in her face dark and black. 

Watching Magnus through the gist of Dot's case is painful. Dot had the longest standing relationship with him, and from what Magnus had told him prior, they were long standing friends before and after their breakup. Hearing of her possible torture and means of death and  _how_  she died...needless to say it's taken a toll on Magnus. 

It only drives Alec's motivation to win this case.

_Win this case, and you'll be one step closer to exposing Camille._

Alec takes a deep breath inward. "I'd like to call forward Ms. Aline Penhallow to the stand."

There's a bit of a murmur within the crowd as Aline stands, dressed fully in her Manhattan PD uniform. She makes her way to the stand, sending a smile to Alec as she sits down.

"Ms. Penhallow," Alec begins, "Could you introduce yourself to the court?"

Aline nods. "My name is Aline Penhallow, and I am an officer over at the Manhattan precinct in New York. I've worked under Captain Lightwood and his wife for almost 10 years, and have seen many cases throughout my life."

Alec nods. "I understand that you have experience with Downworlder crimes," he leads.

"Yes sir," she affirms. "I've recently been assigned to a case involving Downworlder murders and—"

"Objection, your honor," Malachi interrupts, rising from his seat. "I fail to see the relevance this witness has with the case at hand, given that she is not part of the Brooklyn precinct nor familiar with the specifics of the Bane case."

"I digress, Mr. Dieudonné, despite the fact I have no relation to Mr. Bane, I still have important information regarding the Downworld and how such information may have affected Mr. Lightwood's client," she barks back. "If I wasn't interrupted so soon, I would have informed the court that we have seen many Downworlders, many of which Mr. Bane also knew, have been turning up murdered, Mr. Dieudonné. Therefore, I believe my presence is valid."

There's a brief pause of silence before Judge Herondale beats down the gavel once. "Your claims are overruled, Mr. Dieudonné. Ms. Penhallow, please continue."

Aline sits up a bit straighter. "As I was saying before, a current case I have been working on—excluding major details—involves the murders of multiple Downworlders in the past few months," she states. "Now murders amongst the Downworld are far from uncommon, however, our sources have shown an increase in numbers amongst these Downworlder murders."

Alec's brows furrow. "And you claim this is important to my case because my client knew them?" Alec prods.

Aline nods. "That was the most prevalent factor, Mr. Lightwood. As I observed in the first day of this trial, it seems that every victim sustained heavy ligature marks, dosages of poison, and a slow means of death." She looks to Izzy. "However one thing stood prevalent to me: the mark Ms. Isabelle Lightwood found on the bodies,"

"Why did this mark stand out to you, Ms. Penhallow?"

_We're almost there..._

"Because, Mr. Lightwood," Aline starts, flipping a bit of her dark hair back over her shoulder. "This mark was found on every victim we've discovered in my case, which dates back to sometime early last year."

It's this comment that sends the court back into hysterics. What started as a gentle murmur crescendos into loud banter. Press services and news reporters try everything to get their evidence, asking questions above the commotion of the crowd. 

Frustrated, Judge Herondale slams down her gavel, demanding order in her court. Alec swivels his head to look at Magnus, who takes some deep breaths. He looks a bit uneasy, but locks eyes with Alec and gives a soft smile as to say  _I'm fine_.

Alec gives a reassuring smile.

_We're almost there._

The courtroom settles back down, and Judge Herondale proceeds for Aline to explain herself. Aline continues. "Early last year, we began to find bodies of Downworlders. Originally, they were far from what we see here. There was only prevalent poison in their veins and this mark," she indicates, and the mark shows up on the presentation screen beside her. "As you can see, this mark is identical to those found on the bodies in Mr. Bane's case."

"Then are you implying that my client could have committed these murders?"

"Quite the opposite, Mr. Lightwood," Aline defers. "Unless Mr. Bane has a magical ability to be in two places at once, it is quite impossible for him to have committed those murders."

The jurors, Judge Herondale, and Malachi all lean in closer as Alec presses forward. "And why do you say that, Ms. Penhallow?"

"Well, take our 10th victim, who was recently found in mid-September. During this time, Mr. Bane was under house arrest, or at least from my understanding. I'm sure Captain Garroway would be willing to confirm this as well."

Alec turns towards the audience. "Can you confirm this then, Captain Garroway?" They can see Luke nod, and the court takes another collective gasp. "So then it is on record that my client never broke house arrest outside of the events of October 7th, which has been proven that he is innocent on that count of murder. And, by your statements, you claim that he could not have committed those Manhattan murders, all of which match the current MO that the bodies of this case present. Is that correct?"

Aline nods. "Yes, that is correct, Mr. Lightwood." She looks to Magnus. "Mr. Bane has been caught in an unfortunate predicament. And although he knows all of the victims of his case, present evidence from this case and my own lead me to believe that these murders are identical to those happening in Manhattan currently, and thus is it impossible for Mr. Bane to have committed them." Aline straightens up. "In my eyes, he is an innocent man."

 _And with that, the case has been won,_  Alec thinks. 

"Thank you, Ms. Penhallow." He turns to Judge Herondale. "And with that, I have no further questions, your honor." 

He turns from the stand, striding toward Magnus. He catches a glimpse of Malachi, who's frazzled appearance shows that he has accepted a crushing defeat. Alec can feel a surge and swell of pride.

_They've won this._

_He's certain of it._

He sits down next to Magnus just in time to hear that Malachi has no further questions. Judge Herondale nods. "Very well, since there are no further questions or witnesses to present for the court, I will now hand over the decision to the jury." She looks over to the group of people who will decide Magnus' fate. They stand, excusing themselves from the room. "There will now be a brief recess until the jury comes to a decision," she announces, slamming down the gavel.

Alec takes in a deep breath, turning to Magnus with a smile. "Magnus—"

"No, not yet," Magnus interrupts him. "Not yet. It's still up to the jury...they can say anything at this point, no matter what the evidence suggests."

Alec's brows furrow, nodding a bit as he sits back up. 

_We're almost there._

 

~~~~

 

Fifteen minutes later, the jurors enter back through the door.

Fifteen minutes later, the entire courtroom is on the edge of their seats. Magnus' hands are shaking visibly on the table, and Alec can't help the shaking of his leg underneath the table either. 

_They've won this._

_He's certain of it._

Judge Herondale sits back in front of the court, turning to the jury. "Has the jury come to a decision?"

The lead juror stands. "Yes, your honor, we have." 

"Proceed."

Magnus holds his breath. 

Alec's leg shakes faster.

The lead juror looks to the court. "It has come to a unanimous decision that Mr. Magnus Bane is found  _not guilty_  of the murders of the 17 victims presented over the course of these two days. As such, the charges against Mr. Bane will be revoked, including his house arrest arrangements. He will be free to continue his daily life as he so wishes."

Magnus' head whips around to Alec, eyes bright and shining. Alec can hardly believe it, but at the same time, he always knew it.

_They've won._

Everyone rises from their seat, and Magnus is the first person to embrace Alec, pressing him into a warm, tight hug. The both of them are still shaking, still riding the adrenaline that is this court win. Alec barely hears it above the clamor of the cloud, but once his ears catch it, he can't ignore it.

Magnus is laughing. 

He's laughing, and his smile is so bright and fluorescent it puts the sun to shame. He breaks away from Alec, and they share a look.  _God does he want to kiss him._

"Magnus!" A voice calls, and Magnus is instantly enveloped in a tight embrace by Izzy, who laughs along with him. "Alec, you did it! You won the case!" She screams out above the clamor. Her smile is genuine and she breaks the hug with Magnus to give an equally bone-crushing hug to Alec. "I am  _so_ proud of you, Alec."

"Congrats, Alec," Luke congratulates behind him. "Magnus," he meets Magnus' gaze, giving him a charming smile, "You stay out of trouble."

A grin spreads across Magnus' face as he laughs, joking along with Luke. Luke says something about celebrating later, drinks being on him, and everyone rejoices. However it all blurs together in that moment because all Alec can focus on is Magnus.

_Magnus is free._

_"_ Congratulations, Mr. Lightwood," Malachi says, approaching him shyly. "You put up a very good fight in court."

Alec nods, sharing a firm handshake with him. "As did you."

His lips twitch upwards, and soon he backs away, disappearing somewhere into the crowd.

"Alec Lightwood," calls another voice. Alec turns.

"Lydia!" Alec says surprisingly. "Hi."

She looks over to Magnus, where Maia and Raphael have joined him and revel in the presence of his company. Her lips tip up in a gentle smile. "You did a magnificent thing, Alec," she states simply. "I gave you this case knowing you could do great things, and here you are, delivering yet again."

Alec's brows furrow. "It's only because you had faith in me that I was able to do this."

"Was it?" She questions back, looking at him curiously. "Because I have a feeling that it became less about winning the case for the title and more about winning the case for the person."

Alec flushes. "That's—"

"He's a free man now, Alec," Lydia states. "And you're a free man too. Whatever you do, the court won't come after you for it." 

Alec nods hesitantly. "Thank you, Lydia."

Her smile falters a bit. "Don't thank me just yet, Alec." She looks up to him with a serious gaze. "Come to the firm tomorrow morning. I have something I wish to discuss."

Somehow, the way she says it leaves a sick feeling in his stomach. He isn't quite sure what she means, but he doesn't dwell on it long. His gaze focuses back on Magnus.

_Magnus is free._

_Finally free._

 

~~~~

 

After an evening of celebrations and congratulations, the dawn of a new day passes over them. A free day, they remind themselves.

But Alec stops rejoicing the moment he walks back into the firm. He notices Clary stationed at her desk, but Jace's remains empty. His brows furrow. "Where's Jace?"

Clary opens her mouth, trying to put the words together. "He got assigned to a client, they had him move to a firm in Jersey until they can go to court." She frowns. "He told me he tried to tell you about it, but you never answered his texts or calls."

Alec feels guilt wash over him. It's true, for the most part. The case has taken away all of Alec's attention, and he disregarded a lot of his other responsibilities because of it. "I'm sorry, things have just gotten so hectic and--" He cuts himself off. "I'll give him a call later," he promises. 

Clary rolls her eyes. "Don't apologize to me," she states, looking back down at her files. "Also, Lydia is waiting for you in her office."

Alec nods stiffly, shuffling over towards Lydia's office. He knocks twice on the door.

"Come in."

Alec opens the door to Lydia's office to see her in her usual spot behind her desk. However, someone sits in one of the chairs across from her. "Luke?" Alec questions. "What are you doing here?"

"He's here on my terms, Alec," Lydia states. "Please, close the door and take a seat."

Suddenly he feels as though he's a kid again, about to get scolded by his parents for whatever reason. He sits down slowly, hesitant. "What's this about?"

Lydia takes a breath. "As you know, you have officially won your case and Mr. Bane is now a free man. Under those circumstances, Luke and I established that you would be reinstated temporarily as an officer to assist in the case and to determine what facts in the files were true."

Alec stiffens. "Are you going to revoke my reinstatement?"

"Quite the opposite, actually," Luke perks up. 

Lydia nods. "Despite the fact that you have freed Magnus Bane, it has been established that justice has not been served to the 17 people killed, as well as the multiple Downworlders revealed by Ms. Penhallow to be tied to this case." Her brows furrow. "You've been working on this case the longest, and Mr. Bane has opened up to you about many personal things he was unwilling to release to the other officers. His trust in you and your intuition on this case makes you a very valuable asset."

"What are you saying then?" Alec prods.

"We're saying we want you to keep on this case," Luke states. "You've been one hell of an asset to us on both sides, Alec, and if we lose you now, we may lose an important connection to this case."

Alec's brows furrow. "So I am to stay on the case then?" Alec questions. "What about my position here at the firm?"

Lydia smirks a bit. "Consider this another assignment for you," she says. "We want to solve this case just as much as anyone else, and we're determined to get to the bottom of this. Downworlder or not, we won't allow these murders to continue. We want justice. Do you?"

Luke and Lydia look to him expectantly, and for once Alec doesn't feel overwhelmed. He straightens his shoulders, sitting upright.

"Let's crack this case."

 

~~~~

 

Alec doesn’t arrive back to Magnus’ until that evening.

He half expects Magnus not to be there, to still be celebrating with Raphael, Maia, Catarina, and Ragnor. But to his surprise, he notices the lights on in the house. He reaches into his back pocket, fishing out they key to Magnus’ house. He’s just about to insert it into the lock when he freezes.

_Wait._

_This key was used for when Magnus was on house arrest._

_He’s a free man now._

_Should I—?_

Alec slides the key back into his pocket, opting to instead knock on the door a couple of times. He takes a couple steps back and waits.

There’s a faint sound of movement behind the door, and the click of the lock turning sounds before the door opens, revealing a rather relaxed Magnus. He’s changed out of his suit and instead opted for a blue silk robe tied loosely around his waist and baggy black pants. His eyes meet Alec’s.

“Alexander,” he greets with a smile, stepping forward and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips before gesturing him inside. “Did you lose your key?”

Alec turns, his brows furrowed. “I wasn’t sure—” he shakes his head. “I just…the only reason I have this key was because you were under house arrest. I didn’t know if now that you’re a free man you wanted to—”

Magnus’ fingers wrap around his gently. The touch is soft and caressing and warm, calming a bit of Alec’s nerves. “Alexander, you are always welcome here.” He looks down to their hands. “The key you have, I’m okay with you having it. You’ve spent enough nights here with me that I feel comfortable enough to let you have this.” He looks up to Alec with a smile. “Keep it.”

Alec smiles back, lifting Magnus’ hands up and pressing featherlight kisses to his fingers. “Did you celebrate with the others?” He asks curiously, his hot breath tickling against the tips of Magnus’ fingers.

Magnus resists a shiver. “A bit,” he admits. “But Catarina promised that we’d be celebrating more when everyone had more time.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “How long did you all stay together?”

Magnus spots Chairman saunter into the living room, meowing silently and stretching. Magnus walks over to him, picking him up and placing him on the couch. “Not long, maybe about an hour or so. Cat had a shift at the ER and Maia said she had a shift at the bar as well. Raphael has to open Pandemonium soon and Ragnor,” he trails, petting Chairman’s back softly. “Well he just wanted to get back to the books I guess.”

Alec hums, scratching his fingers underneath Chairman’s jaw. He purrs in response. “And it looks like you’re finally back from your adventures too.”

Magnus chuckles. “I finally was able to call someone about the window in the apothecary. They’ll come by sometime by the end of the week to fix and replace it,” he states. “Then Chairman won’t be as in and out as he is now.”

They spend a bit more time in silence, giving Chairman some much needed attention before moving to make dinner. It’s fairly simple tonight, nothing more than some instant noodles Magnus bought. Because of court, they’re both tired.

“So what did Lydia call you out for?” Magnus asks as he pushes his fork around his noodles. “Another case to take?”

Alec takes a sip of the white wine Magnus poured for them. “No, nothing like that,” he says a bit distractedly.

Magnus looks up from his noodles. “Then what did she want?”

Alec absentmindedly picks at the small chunks of vegetables in the noodles. “She wanted to talk about the case, this case.”

“Was she happy you won?”

“Oh, undoubtedly,” Alec retorts. “But at the same time, this case is far from over.”

Magnus doesn’t say anything, so Alec continues.

“Even though you’re going free, there are still people being killed. This case is still active, and so I’m going to work with Luke with the BPD from now on to catch Camille and the other sick bastard who’s doing all this.”

Magnus takes a minute to process his words. “So then you’re an official part of the force now?”

“Huh?”

“You said you’re sticking with the Brooklyn precinct from now on, which means you’re a full-time cop now, right?” Magnus asks. “I mean, like you stated, my case has been won and—”

“No, Magnus,” Alec interrupts, a serious tone to his voice. “I’m not a full-time cop. I got a bit of an extension for this case, that’s all. I’m already involved with a lot of the case, and we’ve been making good strides as of recently, so both Lydia and Luke thought it would be best for me to stay on until we can put an end to these murders.”

Magnus looks back down to his noodles, his gaze unreadable. “Then after that?”

“After that, then I’ll go back to being a lawyer,” Alec replies. He notices Magnus’ crestfallen expression. “What?”

Magnus shakes his head. “I just thought—” He cuts himself off. “It doesn’t matter what I thought.”

Alec abandons his noodles, placing them on the coffee table. He eases closer to Magnus. “It does matter, Magnus.”

He lets another minute of silence pass before speaking up. “I just thought that after this…you’d want to go back. I mean, I know what happened with Max, but I thought maybe as you worked on this case, you could finally see that you really do enjoy—"

“Stop,” Alec interrupts suddenly, pushing away from Magnus. “What happened with Max doesn’t factor into my decision to—”

“Doesn’t it though?!” Magnus snaps back, voice raising slightly. Distress covers his features. “Max was the reason you _left,_ Alexander. But this…you’re so much _happier_ than you were before being reinstated. You came home with a smile on your face, and you absolutely light up around the other officers. Even with Isabelle you were more cheerful. I thought that maybe you could finally accept that what happened to Max wasn’t your fault, that there is still joy to the job and—”

“God damn it, Magnus, STOP!” He yells out loudly, standing up from the couch. Magnus looks up at him with wide eyes. Alec looks away. “I’m not going full-time after this case closes. That’s the end of it.”

Magnus’ gaze falls from Alec’s figure, and he opens his mouth to retort, but Alec beats him to it.

“I’m sorry, I just…I need to go.”

Alec turns away from Magnus, grabbing his jacket from the coat rack. He can hear Magnus placing his food on the table.

“Alexander—”

He doesn’t wait for Magnus’ words before he throws open the door, the late December wind hitting his face. He storms out, slamming the door behind him. He’s fuming underneath, his blood boiling with a sense of dread and anger.

_Why doesn’t Magnus understand?_

_You killed Max._

_It’s your fault._

_Everyone blames you_.

Those familiar thoughts ring through his head as he walks down the streets of the neighborhood. Soon, he finds himself at the end of the street, directly across from the open plain of land that overlooks the river. He walks over, sitting in the grass and sighing.

After a few moments by himself, it dawns on him.

He _yelled at Magnus._

Fuck.

Alec feels another sense of dread crash over him, and he feels like he’s in a constant state of limbo between his regret and his anger. He wishes that Magnus could understand, that he can’t go back to being a full-time cop anymore.

But Magnus doesn’t understand it.

He’s torn, and ultimately, he just wishes that he didn’t feel as broken about it as he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MANGUS HAS NO MASTER MAGNUS IS A FREE WARLOCK
> 
> but also  
> ANGST! I keep promising myself that I won't write more angst and yet...here I am, writing more angst lmao
> 
> I promise it's not long standing angst, as that whole debacle is behind us. You'll see what happens between them next chapter! Which!! I should also add is going to be a Christmas themed chapter! :O cause in this verse its almost towards the end of December, so that means Christmas lololol
> 
> see you soon, lovelies!  
> as always you can come talk to me over on [tumblr!](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/)


	20. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did someone say ‘Christmas themed chapter’?  
> It’s march, but in the story its almost Christmas so here with are with xmas in march what can you do  
> (It did snow this past week here soooo >>)
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO i wanted to treat you guys to a few of the highlights of writing this chapter:
> 
> \- “THIS IS THE CUTEST SHIT IM ABOUT TO CRY” -an actual bit in my chapter outline  
> -“im excited but I also don’t trust you” -my girlfriend when i mention all the cute shit in this chap  
> -“I swear this chapter is one eternal staring contest” -me @ myself as I describe them looking at each other for the 1834917403th time  
> -“AKA THE DATE THAT WILL KILL EVERYONE” -another bit from chapter outlines

Not waking up in Magnus’ bed is foreign.

And frankly, Alec hates it.

He misses the feeling of the satin sheets against his skin, the way Magnus’ body presses up against his, the sound of his steady breathing as he sleeps. He misses the way the light cascades against his golden skin, how beautiful he looks whether he’s covered in hickeys or not.

Waking up in his bed at his apartment in Manhattan, it feels strangely cold. The walls are a dark tone of grey, and his minimalistic décor feels distant and impersonal. For once, he hates the room. He groans, sitting up from the firm mattress under him. He looks to his right.

No Magnus.

The feeling of dread swarms back through him as he slips out of the bed and strides into the bathroom. He starts the shower, desperate to feel some form of warmth against his skin. He undresses, soon stepping under the spray, and the scalding water hits his back.

It does nothing to relieve the empty feeling in his chest.

After he exits the shower, he goes to get ready for the day. His movements feel slow and groggy. He holds a long sleeved, army green shirt in his hands, thumbs brushing over the worn fabric absentmindedly.

Magnus loved when he wore green. He said it brought out his eyes.

Alec sighs, tugging the familiar fabric over his frame.

He proceeds to continue to get ready for the day, but there’s a weight in his bones as he moves. The air is thick like tar, and he can barely move without feeling like he’s suffocating.

He _hates_ this.

Going out from his bedroom and into the living room, that empty feeling crashes over Alec yet again. There’s no warmth to his apartment, no bright fluorescent colors or any unique knick-knacks adorning the shelves. It’s all impersonal, dark, muted colors against fairly minimal furnishings. Though he has a few photos of his siblings, it still feels detached.

He can’t do this.

Alec strides over to his phone, sitting to charge on the kitchen countertop overlooking the living room. He unplugs it, thumbing quickly through his contacts. He presses the button to call far too quickly, pressing the phone to his ear with a newfound haste.

_Please pick up._

It rings.

Once. Twice. Three times.

_C’mon._

“ _You have reached the number of Magnus Bane. I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the phone right now, but if you leave a message, I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible_.”

The line beeps, and Alec threads a hand through his dark hair. “Magnus, hi, it’s uh…it’s Alec. Look, I know last night was—I was being an ass and you—” He cuts himself off, cursing under his breath. “Please, I just…I need to talk to you. Call me back.”

He hangs up, dissatisfied with himself.

Maybe distracting himself with cooking breakfast will help distract him.

It doesn’t.

Bustling around in the kitchen only reminds Alec of the mornings they’d cook together, where Magnus would make something new and let Alec try it. Or the times where they’d be baking and Alec would playfully hit Magnus with flour, only for Magnus to hit him back. They’d be covered in flour and laughing at the mess afterwards.

Alec sighs, looking to his phone.

No messages.

This goes on for the next half hour, and Alec has left numerous amounts of desperate voicemails to Magnus, begging and pleading to _talk to him_. But there has yet to be any notification of contact from Magnus. By the time the sun peaks over the horizon of the New York cityscape, Alec is driving himself insane.

_He can’t do this._

He’s paced around his apartment until he can practically feel a path being carved into the hard wood floors. He’s tired of waiting around for Magnus to call back.

He’s going to go see him.

He has to.

~~~~

The morning air is crisp against his skin, the cold air prickling against his face as he strolls up to Magnus’ home. Alec heaves a large sigh, the air clouding around him from the sudden change in temperature. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, trying not to feel as awkward and conflicted as he does.

He knocks twice on Magnus’ dark door.

No response.

He sighs again, knocking once more. “Magnus, please talk to me,” he pleads with a desperate tone to his voice.

When another few minutes pass—enough for Alec’s teeth to start chattering—he decides he can’t wait any longer.

It feels far too intrusive, he thinks, as he digs out his copy of Magnus’ key from his coat pocket. He works it into the door, pushing into the oh-so-familiar space. The smell of faint sandalwood instantly floods his lungs, and he almost sighs in relief at the warmth that settles in his stiffened bones.

“Magnus?” He asks, hearing nothing as he closes the front door. He paces into the kitchen, looking around. Everything is relatively clean and put together. There’s a mug that sits in the sink, but Alec can’t tell if it’s been recently used or not. His brows furrow as he continues around Magnus’ home, calling out only to receive silence.

He checks the apothecary.

Empty.

The last room he checks is the bedroom, and it’s obvious from the minute he opened the door that Magnus had been suffering.

The bed hasn’t been made at all, and the sheets are a dark grey. The covers are pushed all together, like someone had drawn them close to keep them warm.

_Or perhaps to imitate the feeling of someone beside them._

Alec’s heart aches at the thought.

The curtains to the room remained closed, so the room is a bit darker than usual. There is also a plethora of clothes that have been ripped from their drawers and strung about, as if Magnus had been trying to decide what to wear but couldn’t settle on an outfit.

He does notice, however, a familiar item of clothing catches his eyes.

He picks it up off the edge of the bed, and sure enough, it’s a shirt of his that he left here. It’s no surprise that Alec has stayed over enough times that Magnus has allowed him a bit of space to put his things. It had been useful when Alec was constantly on the night watch. After all, he didn’t want to stay in the same clothes all the time…

It’s only then that Alec finally puts two and two together.

_Magnus isn’t here._

His eyes go wide as he drops the shirt back against the edge of the bed. His movements are more rushed, making sure he checked every room before he returns to the living room. Alec runs his hands through his hair again.

Magnus is gone.

Magnus _left_.

Alec’s hands shake as he fishes out his phone again. He presses one of the contacts in his favorites before pressing it to his ear.

“Alec?” Isabelle’s curious voice picks up on the second ring.

Alec’s shoulders slack in relief. “Izzy,” he starts breathlessly, “you’ve got to help me.”

Izzy senses his panic almost immediately. “Oh gosh, Alec, where are you? Are you okay? Are you bleeding? Did you—?”

“No, no,” he interrupts, “I’m fine. It’s just,” he turns back to look towards the kitchen. “I can’t find Magnus anywhere. We…we had a fight and I tried to call him to apologize, but he’s not picking up his phone so I came here to apologize in person and I looked everywhere and the bedroom’s a mess and he isn’t here and—”

“Alec!” Izzy calls out, stirring Alec from his downward spiral of thoughts. “Alec, calm down. You said Magnus wasn’t at home, right?”

“Yeah, and he’s not answering his phone either.”

She hums on the other line. “He’s probably working then.”

“W-Working?”

Izzy scoffs. “You don’t think that he would be sitting around all day waiting for you to come home, do you?” She asks. “Magnus had a life before all this, you know. Now that he’s free, it’s only natural he’d go back to it.”

Alec stops, hunched over the grey, granite countertop, feeling quite foolish.

Magnus is probably working.

 _But…where does he work_?

It’s then Alec realizes he doesn’t know anything about Magnus’ ordinary life.

Without the blur of house arrest and murder convictions, he hasn’t had the pleasure of knowing Magnus’ life outside of his involvement with the Downworld. He had no clue what job Magnus worked, what he found interest in, or where his favorite places were. What did Magnus do in his spare time?

“ _Oh,_ ” Alec replies distractedly. “Right…of course he would. Sorry, I’m just stupid.”

Surprisingly, Izzy doesn’t reply with a sarcastic quip. “You said you had a fight?” She asks, her tone softer.

Alec sighs. “Y-Yeah…I got a little mad and stormed out and—” he closes his eyes, hanging his head in defeat. “I just need to apologize cause I can’t do this, Iz. I can’t…I can’t live without him.”

The declaration is sudden, and it only makes the weight in Alec’s heart grow. He can’t live without him, and yet here he is, having to be forced with this stagnant silence. It’s ripping him to shreds, and he can’t stand the thought of Magnus mad at him, not talking to him, not being able to come home to him.

_Home._

They don’t live together, and have never made any indication to talk about it. But Alec can’t help but think of this as home. After spending so many hours, so many long nights just being here with Magnus, the domesticity of it all has Alec realizing that he feels home here. He feels at home with Magnus more than anyone else, or anywhere else. He can feel the tears starting to well up against his eyelids at the realization.

“Alec?”

“Hm?”

“Did you hear what I said?”

Alec blinks a couple times. “N-No…sorry,” he apologizes.

Izzy takes a breath. “I’m technically not supposed to do it, but we do have Magnus’ addresses from when he was convicted,” she informs. “Things like his home address, emergency contacts, and his work address.” There’s another brief pause. “Just say the word and I can get it for you.”

Alec’s head swims. He couldn’t pry into Magnus’ life more like that, right?

But…

He can’t keep doing this.

If Magnus doesn’t come home, or doesn’t answer Alec’s calls…

“Yeah,” Alec breathes out. “Give me the address.”

~~~~

When Alec heard that the place Magnus worked at was in Brooklyn, he wasn’t sure what to expect.

This—however—might have been the last thing he expected.

The bookstore he stands in front of is tiny compared to the other buildings he had seen on his way here. They eventually tapered down into smaller and smaller buildings, and now Alec finds himself standing out on the sidewalk looking towards the quaint little shop.

There are some book stands on the walkway, featuring some new releases and books he’s hardly heard of before. The sign above him has aged quite a bit, as the coloring of the letters has gone through some weathering, making the bright yellow fade significantly. The title is just as quaint as the storefront itself, and a hint of a smile tugs at Alec’s lips.

 

_The Way We Were_

_Old books ∞ Antiques ∞ Collections_

 

With a deep breath, Alec pushes forward. The bell above him chimes as he enters the door. Alec can’t help but blink in surprise at the store.

It’s _packed._

And not with people. No, the bookstore has books by the thousands stacked and sorted in different shelves. There seem to be far more books than shelves however, as there are stacks upon stacks upon stacks of books towering well above his height. Some of the stacks take up the already-narrow hallway, and the familiar musty smell of books perforates the air.

Alec looks to the front desk, hoping to see someone sitting there, but alas, the sunken in desk area is barren.

He pushes further into the store, down the narrow hallway until he spills out into a bigger area, just as crowded with books as the rest. Alec can feel his mouth drop open as he gazes at all the books surrounding him. There are just _so many._

His eyes trail over a few of the titles, _Son of the Morning Star, The Rommel Papers, At Dawn We Slept._ There are countless titles across all genres. From art, to science, from history to war, this place has it all.

The sound of fumbling stirs him from his awe. He turns, looking down the couple of aisles but coming up with nothing. It’s silent for another minute before he hears it again, along with an accompanying hushed curse.

He turns the corner to spill into another room yet again packed to the gills with books. In one of the corners, a man has his back turned towards Alec, sorting through some of the books and distributing them to their acquired stacks. The man leans up, going to reach for another book high on the stack. He struggles, and barely gets it before it falls into a place he can’t reach.

“ _Fuck,_ Ragnor, I am going to kill you,” he curses under his breath.

“You were just proven innocent of killing 17 people, I don’t think it would be in your best interest to start now,” Alec quips, though his tone is more careful than playful.

Magnus drops whatever books he’s holding as he spins around to see Alec standing in the doorway. He blinks a couple of times before his brows furrow. He frowns, turning back to do his work.

Alec can only feel his heart break into a million pieces.

“Magnus,” Alec calls out brokenly, but Magnus doesn’t say anything. He takes a stack of books and turns towards Alec, striding towards him only to brush past him into one of the other rooms. “Magnus, please talk to me.”

Magnus stops at one of the aisles, eyes combing over the titles. He goes to sort the books in the stack that he has, placing them in their appropriate places in the shelves that are already much too packed. He says nothing until the stack of books vanishes from his hands. He goes back to the other room to grab more.

Alec turns to follow him. “Look…I’m not good at apologies,” he begins. “But, I’m sorry. I’m _really_ sorry.”

Magnus turns to the shelf behind him, placing the books in the slots he can fit them in. He shakes his head a bit, lips quirking down for a brief second. “For?”

Alec’s chest swells a bit at the fact Magnus _said something to him_. He notices, however, how Magnus still refuses to face him or even look at him. “C-Could you just—Can you put the books down for a second?”

Magnus says nothing, going back to look through more books.

Alec sighs with a hint of aggravation. “I was being selfish, and stupid and—” He close his eyes, releasing a breath from his lungs. “You were right, Magnus.”

That seems to stop Magnus in his tracks. He stops passive-aggressively putting the books away. His movements are less harsh, and Alec notices the way his thumb brushes over the pages of an old book.

“You were right,” he repeats, “What happened with Max was— _is_ the reason I quit being a full-time cop.” His hands shake nervously, and he tries to wipe the sweat he feels building on his palms on his jeans. “It’s just…talking about it is still very difficult to do because of all the stuff surrounding it with my family and—” He cuts himself off again as he sees Magnus turn to go back to ignoring him. On reflex, Alec reaches out, hand wrapping loosely around Magnus’ bicep. “Magnus, wait.”

Magnus pauses, turning to meet Alec’s eyes. His dark rimmed eyes show uncertainty, but their angered demeanor lessens when he sees the panicked desperation on Alec’s face.

“I didn’t mean to take it out on you,” Alec apologizes. “And…I’m sorry. I’m so, _so_ sorry, Magnus. It’s my fault. You didn’t mean to and—”

Magnus holds a finger up in front of Alec’s lips, effectively shushing him. “I understand,” he says quietly, his hand falling back to his side. His dark eyes fall to Alec’s chest, brushing across it slightly. He takes a deep breath. “I’m sorry I pushed,” he replies. “I pushed my feelings about the situation onto you, and your reason is valid. I know how hard things like that can be to talk about.”

Alec nods. He knows Magnus is being genuine. If anything, these past few months prove he knows how hard it can be to talk about things that happened in the past. That, perhaps, is probably something they both have in common.

A hint of a smile ghost’s Magnus’ features and the butterflies in Alec’s stomach flitter. “You’re forgiven, by the way, and—” the smile on his face blossoms a bit more as he meet’s Alec’s gaze one again, “you’re great at apologizes.”

A smile reappears on Alec’s face at Magnus’ words. He steps closer towards Magnus, breathing in the faint smell of sandalwood and musty books that sticks to his skin. He carefully raises his hand to brush against Magnus’, his movements cautious as if he were afraid Magnus would pull away.

Magnus doesn’t. His fingers intertwine with Alec’s and he’s meeting Alec in the middle, touching their foreheads together and just breathing each other in.

“ _I missed you_ ,” Alec confesses, eyes falling closed.

Magnus huffs out a breathy laugh. “You only went one night without me, darling.” Despite the words, Magnus squeezes Alec’s hand a bit tighter in his. “ _I missed you too._ ”

 Alec can feel Magnus brush his nose against his, and his toes curl as Magnus leans up, closing the gap between them in a silent, sweet kiss. He absolutely melts against Magnus, all the tension in his body simply melting away.

“I thought the honeymoon must have ended, but perhaps I was wrong.”

Alec jolts back from the kiss in surprise, tearing his eyes from Magnus to see another man standing in the doorway. He’s dressed somewhat lavishly, with an acknowledgement to the Victorian era clothing he’s seen in old history books. The man’s dark hair is tousled, with a few grey strands sticking to the other blackened hairs.

Magnus rolls his eyes with a scoff, turning to the man. “Says the man who bet on whether Alexander would kiss me first or not.”

The man gives his own eye rolls in response. “I came to find the books concerning the second World War, do you know where they are?” The man asks, and Alec notices his prevalent English accent.

Magnus points out of the room. “Go to the right and the next room should have all of the books concerning the second World War,” he informs. “Unless you’ve mixed them all up again.”

The man smirks a bit. “If I didn’t, then you’d have nothing to do, would you?” He quips before disappearing out of the room. Magnus heaves a sigh.

“Who was that?” Alec asks, looking back to Magnus.

“Ragnor Fell,” Magnus informs, turning back to the books. “One of my oldest friends who I’ve known since before the beginning of time. Painfully uptight and often grouchy, but he does give the best advice when you need it.”

Alec looks towards the doorway. “Oh, so _that’s_ the Ragnor you go on about,” Alec states plainly. Magnus shuffles past him, walking out the doorway to go sort more books. “He’s your employer?”

Magnus snorts. “Hardly. I’m more like…a business partner of sorts,” he says, taking one of the books and trying to slot it on the highest shelf. It only takes a moment of struggle before Alec takes the book from him and slots it into an empty space. Magnus gives a fake pout before continuing. “My degree is in history, and Ragnor also loves anything related to history or literature, so often times whenever he’d go on scavengers for the latest historical find, I’d follow him.”

Alec leans against the bookshelf as he talks. “You have a degree?”

He nods. “I have two. A master’s in history, and a bachelor’s in literature, specifically English literature, but I dabbled in others as well.”

Alec blinks in surprise. “T-That’s amazing,” he says in awe. “And you did this even when you were in the Downworld?”

“It was a lot more difficult, and often times I took classes online. That way I could work from home and not have to terrify my potential classmates with the fact I was a Downworlder leader.”

Alec chuckles at that. “I guess you have a point,” he states, looking around at all the books.

Magnus smirks at him. “Enjoy the view?”

“Y-Yeah,” he mutters. “It’s an incredible store. There are so many titles and genres and—” He chuckles a bit in embarrassment. “S-Sorry, you probably know all of this.”

He turns his attention back to Magnus, only to see him staring back with a warm gaze. His dark brown eyes ward off the chill of the December morning, filling Alec with a sense of calm and warmth. Though he’s been in a few relationships before, not one of them had looked at him this way. None made him feel this sense of warmth and—

And _home._

“ _I like seeing this side of you,_ ” Magnus says softly, stepping closer towards Alec. His hands reach up, touch ghosting across Alec’s skin and making him shiver in the best way.

“ _And what side is that?_ ”

Magnus licks his lips, and Alec’s golden eyes track the movement, his breath caught in his chest. “ _Where you show more of your passions. You may not say it, but your emotions and feelings are on perfect display. I can immediately tell that you have a passion for literature.”_

A smile pulls at the corners of Alec’s lips as he presses closer to Magnus. “’And I wonder if Beethoven held his breath the first time his fingers touched the keys, the same way a soldier holds his breath the first time his finger clicks the trigger.’” His eyes flutter closed as he leans down, a breath away from Magnus’ lips. “’We all have different reasons for forgetting to breathe.’”

“Andrea Gibson,” Magnus responds, breath pulsing against Alec’s skin. “I’m impressed.”

Alec chuckles lowly again, and his hands find Magnus’ waist, pulling him forward so that he crushes his lips to Magnus’. He so captivated by Magnus and his warmth, and has been desperate for it since he walked out last night. He turns so the both of them have their back against the shelves, sharing heated kisses in the quietness that is the bookstore.

It’s when Alec lowers his lips to place open-mouthed kisses to Magnus’ neck that the breath leaves Magnus’ lungs. He releases a muffled whimper as he can feel Alec’s tongue laves over the skin of his neck.

“If you two are this insufferable now, I don’t want to think of how deplorable it will be when you two finally go on a date.”

Alec pulls away in surprise yet again to see Ragnor standing at the other end of the shelves with a few large books in his hands. He looks unimpressed with them both, and Magnus lets out a deep sigh.

“Also, if you two would refrain from having sex here, that would be great,” he quips. “I don’t want my first editions to get soiled.”

Alec guffaws. “W-We wouldn’t—!”

Ragnor turns away, retreating to some other part of the store before Alec can say anything else. He turns to Magnus. “I’ll uh…be right back.” Magnus blinks a couple of times in surprise, but nods all the same. Alec turns away from him, following the path he saw Ragnor disappear to.

He finds Ragnor towards the front of the store, amongst some of the antiques hanging in the room and in the display cases. “Um, R-Ragnor?” Alec stammers, stepping into view on the other side of the display case. “Ragnor Fell?”

Ragnor doesn’t look up. “Alexander Lightwood,” he states plainly.

Alec blinks in surprise. “Y-You know me?”

“Quite,” he says, placing his collection of books on top of the glass display case. “Perhaps you forget of your wildly prestigious position as one of Manhattan’s most elite lawyers.”

Alec gapes. “R-Right. Um…” He looks down, brows furrowing. “About earlier, I know I didn’t make the best first impression, and I haven’t even introduced myself properly—”

“Alexander Lightwood, six-foot-three male of thirty years and the eldest child of three of the Manhattan police captain Robert Lightwood and his wife Maryse. You worked under the Manhattan police department for a few years before switching to your current occupation under Lydia Branwell’s firm and have been taking cases and achieving victories ever since,” Ragnor says rather coldly. He looks up from the books. “Did I forget anything?”

 _Well he’s certainly done his research,_ Alec thinks. “I think you got most of it, actually. But I—”

“Oh, there was something!” Ragnor interrupts. “You’ve recently won one of the riskiest cases in your career and are now celebrating with your former client turned boyfriend.” Ragnor flips through a few pages in his book absentmindedly.

“Magnus isn’t—” Alec cuts himself off. “He’s not my boyfriend yet. N-Not officially anyways.”

Ragnor looks up at him expectantly.

“We promised that after the trial we would be.”

“And is it not after the trial?”

“Well…” Alec trails off, hand coming up to scratch at the skin on the back of his neck. “We haven’t gone on a date yet.”

Ragnor hums indistinctly as he turns from the display case to some of the antique jewelry that hangs on the walls behind him.

“So then do you ever plan to? Or will you delay it as you currently are?”

“I’m not—!”

“You’re no good for him,” Ragnor says simply, dragging his attention away from the beads he holds. His eyes focus on Alec, who has frozen at his words. Ragnor still wears a stormy expression, brows creased together and frown pertinent. “You’re no good for him, Alexander Lightwood. No, you are _great_ for him.”

Alec blinks in surprise. “W-Wha—?”

“In all the years I have known him, there is one thing I know to be true. Magnus loves with all his heart. There is no half-heartedness, no emotion nor movement that does not have meaning behind it. He loves so effortlessly, far more easily than he’d like to admit, but…” Ragnor’s gaze falls to the display cases, his fingers trailing over the glass. “Doing so has hurt him. Though he loves so much, his heart has been broken far too many times. He has built walls so high, he dares not let anyone in.”

Ragnor meets Alec’s gaze again. “But you, you are different. Since the first day he spoke of you, I knew something was different. He fell for you, truly he did. But he still had his walls. Your job was to break them, one by one. And when you did, and you didn’t flee…well, perhaps he took my advice after all.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Your advice?”

He nods, putting away one of the necklaces back in the display case. “He was shattered after Camille had broken his heart,” he begins. “He gave up on trying to love, and tried to convince himself that he shouldn’t anchor himself to a love for eternity. It was completely naïve and narrowminded, so I told him that one day, someone would come along who would tear down the walls he built around his heart. And when that love came back to him, he should do everything he could to fight for it.”

He can feel the power of Ragnor’s words circling in his mind.

_He does give the best advice when you need it._

Magnus was right, he did. Perhaps Ragnor’s advice was the reason Magnus never pushed him away, never tried to lie to him once the scars were there to see. He feels a warm feeling start to melt away the anxiousness he felt moments earlier.

“Thank you, Ragnor, I—”

“However, I must warn you,” Ragnor interrupts yet again. He takes a few steps forward, his expression turning stormy once again. “Magnus is a dear friend of mine, and I have grown up with him and seen his best and worst traits. I have seen his dizzy, sickening love and his utter despair when his heart is shattered.” He prods a knuckled finger at the center of Alec’s chest. “I did say that you were different, that you have brought out the best in him. So I shall say this only once, and I will make myself as clear as possible: If you hurt him, if I was wrong to say that you may very well be the one for him, there will be no place, no lawsuit nor claim nor order that will keep me from finding you.” His brows furrow together. “I believe you are different, Alexander Lightwood, do not make me change my mind.”

Alec stiffens as his words drip with a subtle spite to them. He blinks both in fear and surprise.

He knows the ‘if you hurt them, I hurt you’ talk. He’s had to say it to quite a few of Izzy’s boyfriends (and Jace’s occasional girlfriend or boyfriend too).

But this is probably the first time he’s gotten it himself.

Alec realizes that Ragnor is looking for some kind of confirmation, some indication that his statements have been heard and processed. Alec nods, a bit too much and a bit too quickly, but Ragnor backs away a moment later turning back to his books.

“Very well,” Ragnor says, his harsh tone softening a bit, “You may go now. I’m sure Magnus is waiting for you.”

He takes a moment to re-compose himself before nodding to Ragnor, shuffling towards the hallway. “T-Thank you,” he stutters out. “I won’t abandon him, you have my word.”

Ragnor says nothing more, but waves him away, beckoning him to leave.

Alec lets out the largest exhale he has in a while, weight pressing into one of the shelves in the back room.

“Did you survive?” Magnus asks curiously, coming back into view.

Alec chuckles. “Just barely,” he jokes. “I feared for my life for a moment there.”

A large smile crosses Magnus’ face. “Just wait until you meet Cat for the first time.”

Alec shakes his head with a smile before leaning down to press another quick, chaste kiss to Magnus’ lips. “Magnus?”

“Hm?”

“Will you go out with me?”

He isn’t sure why, but the moment he says it, the nerves return. He knows Magnus loves him, knows that he cares _so much_ , but yet the fear still churns in his mind that Magnus will say no.

One look at Magnus’ face, however, disperses those thoughts immediately.

“It’s about damn time,” Magnus quips, bringing him in for another kiss. “Of course I’ll go out with you Alexander.”

They kiss again, and Alec feels like he’s on top of the world.

~~~~

Alec used to hate the holidays.

Back at the Manhattan precinct, there were far too many calls of robberies or other small crimes throughout the city. There would be domestic disputes and a few car chases too. This time of year often promised more work than the rest of the year combined.

The firm was a bit different.

Lydia never stayed open for Christmas or Christmas Day, so often times Alec would find himself settled back at home until Jace or Izzy called saying he _had_ to come to this particular Christmas party their friends were hosting. He’d go, never really willingly, but only because he knew it meant a lot to his siblings. There were no family dinners for them ever since their parents casted their cold shoulders, and when their schedules permitted, they’d do a trade-off of gifts.

Overall, though, Christmas never really sparked Alec’s attention.

But this year, he finds, is drastically different.

He buries his face a bit more in the maroon scarf, exhaling in it and letting the heat of his breath warm his cold face. Despite dressing in a heavy overcoat, beanie, and warm scarf, he can still feel the cold with the wind that kisses his cheeks and the snowflakes that flitter and flutter around him. He looks around at the lights encompassing Time’s Square. Despite the darkness of night that has come over the city, Time Square stands as bright as can be.

“I didn’t keep you waiting long, did I?”

Alec turns towards the voice and smiles when he sees Magnus. He’s dressed warmly as well, with a large, dark overcoat and a royal blue scarf tied around his neck. He wears some dark earmuffs as well that wrap around the back of his head. In true Magnus fashion, his hair has been done so that there are a few royal blue strands to match his scarf.

“I haven’t been here long,” Alec says, leaning down to press a small kiss to Magnus’ lips. “Are you ready to go?”

Magnus smiles up at him, weaving his hand in Alec’s so that their fingers intertwine. “Lead the way.”

~~~~

“You know, I’ll never get over the way New York looks over the Christmas season,” Magnus sighs as they walk hand in hand down the sidewalk.

Alec hums in agreement. “What was Christmas like for you in the past?”

Magnus ponders it a bit as they walk towards the Rockefeller Center. “It depends. Growing up in Indonesia, we didn’t really celebrate it. And because I jumped from foster home to foster home, most years I was with an entirely new family full of people who didn’t really know me,” he explains. “Interestingly enough, it was only when I joined the Downworld that I really began to celebrate the holiday.” He looks to Alec. “What about you?”

“Oh, uh…about the same I guess,” Alec stammers. “We had some family celebrations when we were younger, but as soon as our parents assumed the head of the MPD, most Christmases were spent independently.”

Magnus keeps his gaze locked ahead, surveying the different types of lights they pass. The whole city seems to take advantage of the holiday, with a wide array of colors and flashing lights.

Soon they make their way to Rockefeller Center, which is surprisingly not as crowded as Alec expected. Sure there’s still a multitude of people, but it feels far less suffocating than the other times he happened to be here on Christmas.

“ _It’s beautiful_ ,” Magnus whispers, eyes trained on the giant tree that stands in the middle of the plaza. It’s decorated lavishly and towers above them. The colors from the lights dance across Magnus’ skin and the snowflakes that fall send a pleasant chill running through Alec again.

“It is indeed,” Alec agrees, squeezing Magnus’ hand in his just a bit more. Magnus looks to him just in time to see that Alec isn’t looking around at the scenery, only at him.

Magnus flushes. “You’re a sap.”

“Sap? I didn’t say anything.”

Magnus pouts a bit. “You didn’t have to. Your smitten look says it all.”

Alec’s cheeks grow a bit redder at the comment as his smile grows wider. He doesn’t tear his gaze away from Magnus, either. He squeezes Magnus’ hand once more, before he leans down to press a kiss against Magnus’ lips. “ _How sappy am I?_ ”

“ _Sappier than a damn maple tree,_ ” Magnus whispers back, his warm breath puffing against Alec’s lips. Alec lets out a breathy chuckle and Magnus resists rolling his eyes.

“You are right though,” Alec says, taking a step away from Magnus to look at the display of lights around them. “No matter how many times I see it, New York during Christmas always seems so…magical.”

Magnus nods, and they continue to walk around, even taking a couple of pictures of Magnus posing in front of the large decorated tree. Magnus happens to snap a picture Alec crossing his arms with an unamused expression as Magnus forces him to wear this reindeer headband with bells that happen to jingle whenever he moves.

He may have sent it to Isabelle when Alec wasn’t looking.

“I heard Central Park had some pretty nice displays,” Alec offers. “Do you want to go there?”

Magnus looks around once more before his eyes focus on the ice rink below them. “I have a better idea.”

Alec wears a genuine look of confusion as Magnus pulls him down the stairs. It isn’t until Magnus pulls him down that Alec connects the dots. His eyes widen. “Oh no,” Alec says, shaking his head. He looks down to see Magnus pouting at him. “No, Magnus. I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Do you not see this?” He questions, gesturing to all of him.

“Yes, and I quite like what I see.”

Alec guffaws. “Not what I meant. _This_ ,” he gestures again, “is a giant, 6-foot tall, giraffe who fumbles and falls the minute they touch the ice.”

Magnus only smiles at him. “Luckily, I am a graceful swan on the ice,” he informs. “You’ll be fine.”

Somehow, Alec doesn’t put up any more of a fight, instead being pulled in to renting skates and lacing them up. Soon, Magnus is on the ice, and after a minute of getting used to it, is gliding across the ice with precision and perfection. He spins around, turning back to skate to where Alec stands at the entrance, looking overwhelmed by the ice. He holds out his hands.

“C’mon, it’s not that bad,” Magnus encourages.

Alec gives another uncertain look to the ice before looking up at Magnus. He takes a deep breath before taking Magnus’ hands in his. He steps up onto the ice, immediately wobbling at the loss of control. He nearly falls on his face there, but instead he falls forward into Magnus’ chest, hands finding his biceps that are still _very_ impressive despite being covered by the heavy fabric.

His gaze meets Magnus’, which shows a bit of surprise. “I told you,” Alec responds flatly.

“We’re always a bit wobbly at first,” Magnus says, helping Alec straighten up. “We’ll stay closer to the wall and we’ll go as slow as you want.” They slowly make their way to the wall where Alec is able to plant a hand on the side and get some form of balance. “Just move as if your walking, one foot in front of the other.”

Alec does as he’s told, and almost falls yet again. He half expects for Magnus to laugh at him, just like his siblings do whenever they drag him out to rinks like this, but Magnus doesn’t. He stops, helping Alec gain his balance. He keeps a hand planted on the small of Alec’s back.

“Try not to bend over so much,” Magnus says, applying a bit more pressure to Alec’s back. “You’ll be a bit too top heavy and your balance will be off.”

Alec nods, straightening up a bit as they continue forward. Since that recommendation, he’s fumbled far less, but still has trouble. They’ve gotten almost a fourth of the way around before Alec takes another large tumble. Magnus catches him yet again, barely even caught off balance. He squeezes Alec in his arms very softly. “ _Don’t worry, love. I’ve got you._ ”

He’s not sure why, but the way Magnus says it just makes his heart stutter.

They spend a bit more time making their way around the rink, and by the time they make a full turn, Alec feels less like he’ll fall over without Magnus holding onto him.

“Okay, I think I’m ready.”

Magnus’ eyes widen. “You sure?”

“No?” Alec questions back. “But if I’m going to make a fool out of myself, it may as well be now.”

Magnus chuckles at that. “How about this: you start from there and skate to me,” he offers, leading Alec to the wall before skating a few paces away. He turns back to Alec with a smile.

Alec takes a deep breath, watching as the other skaters brush past him. A young boy skates effortlessly past him, and he can’t help but feel a bit sheepish at it.

_Well, if that kid can do it, I can…right?_

He takes a deep breath.

_Here goes._

He pushes off the wall, looking down at his skates.

_Okay. One foot in front of the other._

_It’s just like walking._

He lets out a nervous breath as he takes the first stride forward, skates sliding against the ice. He keeps his back up, trying not to be too top-heavy like Magnus suggested. After a couple of strides, he looks up to see Magnus waiting patiently for him.

_Magnus is waiting._

He takes another stride forward, carefully gliding against the ice. His feet wobble a little bit, but the confidence in his strides is more apparent as he moves forward. Soon, he’s not even worrying about his feet, or his back, he’s only focusing on Magnus, who slowly comes closer and closer and—

And…Alec doesn’t know how to stop.

“M-Magnus!” Alec exclaims, his speed gliding him forward, too far. He holds out his hands, hoping Magnus will catch him.

Magnus gives a panicked expression, reaching out to try and stop the oncoming Alec. He’s too fast, however, and they crash together, and both of them topple down onto the ice.

Alec panics immediately, scrambling up. “Shit, Magnus, I’m so sorry are you oka—?”

His question is cut off when he turns to Magnus, who sits with his back on the ice, just _laughing._ His laugh is rich and hearty, and his nose scrunches up and his eyes crinkle at the sides as he laughs.

“I guess I should have taught you how to stop,” Magnus says amidst his laughter.

Alec can’t help but join in on the laughter. “Yeah, that would’ve been important to know,” he giggles. _Giggles._

Only Magnus can make this grown man giggle.

Magnus’ laughter eventually subsides, and he rises from the frozen ice, brushing any of it off of the back of his coat. He holds out his hand for Alec, who accepts it readily.

Alec gets off the ice after that, efficiently tired out, but he encourages Magnus to stay on the ice for as long as he likes. And Magnus takes him up on the offer. So here he is, watching the love of his life glide effortlessly against the ice. He ends up in the middle talking to a couple others, who he assumes are professional skaters, because soon the two of them are showing each other moves and clapping when the other succeeds at a particular stunt.

After about a half hour at the rink, Magnus has officially tired himself out on the ice.

“I think I need some more solid ground now,” Magnus jokes as he takes off his skates. Alec chuckles at that.

“Where did you learn to skate?”

Magnus pauses at that, but continues to take off his skates a moment later. “Surprisingly, I learned years ago when I was back in foster care,” he says. “I had a foster home in Vermont, where snow was almost an every-day occurrence. There was this girl in my foster family at the time who wanted to be a professional skater when she grew up. This was one of the…nicer homes I was a part of, so the parents were always providing for her, wanting her to live her dream.” His lips quirk up in a smile. “She said she would go to the Olympics one day.”

“So she taught you how to skate?”

Magnus nods. “I fell on my ass plenty of times, but we spent a lot of time bonding at the ice rink.” Another soft smile graces his features. “I was grateful to have met someone like her.”

Alec smiles at that, handing Magnus his boots. Once Magnus has fastened his shoes, he takes Magnus’ hands in his again. “I guess I should be grateful too,” he adds, “since you became such a wonderful teacher.”

Magnus snorts, shaking his head. “You’re still a sap.”

Alec kisses the top of his head endearingly. “But you love it.”

“It’s true,” he confesses. “ _But not as much as I love you._ ”

Alec smiles at that as Magnus leans up to press yet another chaste, but meaningful kiss to his lips. They’ve kissed more times tonight than they have in a while, and Alec can’t find any downside to that.

“You mentioned Central Park earlier,” Magnus remembers. “Wanna visit there?”

Alec smiles back at him. “To Central Park.”

~~~~

Whoever had mentioned the views in Central Park, be it Izzy or Simon or even Maia, should be given some sort of prize.

The views are spectacular.

The trees in Central park have been wrapped around in thousands of lights, lighting up the darkness of the cold winter night. There are plenty of couples strolling through the park, and there are some children who play and laugh and giggle in the snow.

But what really catches their breath is the fountain.

The fountain seems to defy the odds, water flowing despite the cold air around them. It’s decorated in spotlights, accentuating its detail and fine crafting. There are also spotlights in the water of varying colors, mainly reds and greens that make the water look absolutely mesmerizing. The snow still continues to fall around them, and it hasn’t built too much, but enough to where a couple of inches have started to form on the grassy patches around them.

“ _Wow_ ,” Alec says breathlessly, looking towards the fountain. “Whoever recommended this spot is a genius.”

Magnus looks at him. “Who recommended it?”

“Ah…um…I can’t remember?” Alec questions, letting out a nervous chuckle. “I just remember hearing it in passing. Maybe it was Izzy? Or Simon?”

“Whoever it was,” Magnus begins, “They have great suggestions.”

Alec’s spots a stall near the edge of the fountain area. “I’ll be right back,” he says, peeling away from Magnus.

Magnus watches him trot over to the stall, and his heart swims with a newfound feeling he can’t quite place.

In all of his life, he can’t quite remember being with someone like this. He’s been with a few people in the past, and many of them were very meaningful to him, but with Alec, it feels completely different. He’s always been the one to fall quickly, so with Alec it shouldn’t be such a surprise to him. And yet it is. With Alec he’s just fallen _so deeply_ so quickly, so much so that being without him for one night was just painful. He can’t imagine anyone else in his bed anymore, can’t imagine what his life is—or was—without Alec in it.

Simply…Magnus loves him.

And Magnus is coming to realize he loves him more than he’s loved anyone else.

“Careful, it’s a bit hot,” Alec speaks up, jolting Magnus out of his thoughts. He offers a small cup to Magnus, who takes it with a silent thank you. It’s warm against his cold fingertips, and the smell of mocha and peppermint fills his nostrils. “They said it’s the best in New York, but you can only take that so far,” Alec jokes. “Every stall says that.”

Magnus laughs, following Alec over to a nearby bench. The wood is cold from some of the snow on it, but huddled together with hot chocolate like this, the cold is the last thing on Magnus’ mind.

He takes a gentle sip, careful not to burn his tongue on the hot liquid. He hums at the taste of chocolate that floods his senses and the heat that surrounds him as he swallows. It warms his body, freezing from the cold. The aftertones of peppermint remind him of his childhood, when his mother would give him a candy cane during the holidays. It reminds him of the crisp mornings of Christmas Day, waking up to see the snow settled in the city. He smiles into the cup.

“I’d say they live up to their promise,” Magnus says faintly, taking another sip of his hot chocolate.

Alec takes a sip and hums as well. “It _is_ good,” he agrees.

Magnus looks down to his feet, memorizing the chips and cracks in the brick layering below them. “When I was growing up in Indonesia, though we didn’t celebrate Christmas, my mom would always give me candy canes to celebrate the occasion.” He chuckles. “One year, she said I was so impatient she caved and gave it to me on my birthday instead.” He sighs, breath puffing out in a cloud of white smoke. “I may not have had an amazing childhood, but my mother made some of the best memories.”

Alec sits quietly as he talks, listening as Magnus talks about his mother. He always seems to have a loving warmth to him when he talks about her, even if there are muted tones of sadness peppered in his words. He smiles, taking another sip of his drink. He stills a moment afterward, the gears turning in his head.

“Wait…when is your birthday?”

Magnus doesn’t look at him, instead opting to stare at the fountain and other couples congregating throughout the park. “It was earlier this month,” he replies. “The eighth, to be exact.”

Alec’s eyes widen. “Oh, I—I didn’t know, I should’ve—”

“Don’t worry about it, Alexander,” he replies, looking back to Alec with a smile. It falters a second later, his brows furrowing and eyes growing stormy. “You wouldn’t have been able to spend it with me anyways.”

Alec doesn’t say anything, so Magnus continues.

“The appeal trial wasn’t until after my birthday, so at the time I was still in Edom.” Alec’s breath hitches. “Ten days before the trial began, I was in solitary for protecting a friend of mine, another Warlock. So most likely…I spent my birthday in Edom’s solitary confinement, with nothing but my demons to haunt me.”

Magnus’ tone is full of dread and it pulls at Alec’s heartstrings. He takes Magnus’ hand in his, kissing the back of it before meeting Magnus’ gaze again.

“I know it’s a couple weeks late, and I know maybe this year, your birthday wasn’t associated with the best memories. But,” Alec starts, rising from his seat beside Magnus on the bench so that he sits in front of Magnus on one knee. He places down his cup and takes Magnus’ hands in his, gently resting them on his raised knee. His eyes meet Magnus’. “ _Happy Birthday, Magnus_.”

That fluttering feeling finds its way back into Magnus heart. There are tears that begin to form against his eyes, the emotions in his chest budding like springtime. There have been plenty of people who have tried to make his birthday extravagant, to distract him from the scars of his past. But none have succeeded. He’s always pushed them away, always abandoned the idea of spending his birthday with someone and instead nursing a glass of whiskey to forget his sorrows.

But here is Alec, yet again, tearing down every wall he has built for the past decade or so. He hasn’t even done anything, said any words that indicate he wants to host some grand celebration. But at the same time, Magnus knows he wouldn’t. Alec isn’t the type to go overboard with his affections. He’s blunt, and says things as they are.

And here he is, delivering yet again.

“Magnus?”

Magnus blinks out of his thoughts again, looking down to see Alec smiling up at him. “You still with me?”

“Y-Yeah, sorry,” he apologizes. “You just caught me by surprise.”

Alec tilts his head to the side in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“This,” Magnus says, gesturing at nothing, only applying a slight pressure to Alec’s hands in his. “My birthday was weeks ago, and not one of them have I spent not grieving over how miserable my life has been. But you,” he brings a hand up to brush lightly at Alec’s bangs that hang in his face. “Somehow you give me hope that my birthday could be something more than just nursing a bottle of whiskey.”

Alec’s eyes move back and forth, analyzing Magnus for every word he says. When Magnus quiets, Alec leans down, kissing gently as his cold fingers. He presses gentle kisses to each finger, starting with his right hand and soon moving to his left. He presses a kiss to Magnus’ ring finger, and Magnus will admit his heart stutters at the action.

“ _Next year,_ ” Alec begins, “ _Next year, there will be no grieving. We’ll celebrate. Even if it’s just sitting on a couch making fun of those dumb designers on_ Project Runway, _I want to show you how special you really are and that where you are from doesn’t define you._ ”

At those words, the tears Magnus thought he willed away spill out. He lets out a breathy, gasping laugh. His eyes fill with that mirth and warmth that Alec has associated with warmth and bliss. He smiles, brightening the space around them.

“ _Okay._ ”

To the both of them, it’s a promise.

A promise to a future together.

A promise that Magnus has never promised to anyone.

Perhaps, he thinks, Alexander Lightwood won’t break his heart.

~~~~

After their feet ache from walking around, they end up walking back to Alec’s apartment. Magnus insisted, saying that it would take far too long to head all the way back to Brooklyn, especially considering the traffic. Alec agreed, and now here they are sitting on Alec’s dark couch, each nursing a glass of wine Alec happened to have.

Magnus was a bit amused when he saw Alec’s living arrangements. He said it was “very him” but Alec only feels like it’s a shell of what Magnus’ place feels like. He also commented on how very un-Christmas-like the whole apartment seemed. But after some scavenging in the extra bedroom, Alec manages to find some old Christmas lights and even an old tree that Izzy must have dumped here at some point.

Magnus sits next to Alec, his feet in Alec’s lab as he lies back on the couch, staring at the tree set up in the corner. “We did a good job, considering the lack of stuff we had for it.”

Alec snorts. “We had ornaments, lights, and the tree. What more do you need?”

Magnus takes a small sip of his wine before setting it on one of the end tables. “Oh Alexander, a tree isn’t a Christmas tree unless you dress it up.” He maneuvers slowly, taking Alec’s wine glass from his hands and putting it to the side. Magnus comes to straddle Alec’s waist, but his movements aren’t lustful, they’re more careful and calculated.

His hands brush against Alec’s cheeks, and he takes his time gracing his fingers against the planes of Alec’s face. His thumbs pass over the coarse hairs of Alec’s eyebrows, over the scar on the left side before trailing down the side of his jaw. Both hands meet at his chin, and Alec looks up just in time to see Magnus biting his lip slightly. His brown eyes are so full of mirth and warmth, accentuated by the low colorful lighting surrounding them from the Christmas lights.

Magnus continues his antics, brushing the pad of his thumb against Alec’s bottom lip. Neither of them say anything, both drinking in the intimacy of their actions. There’s a simmering heat between them as Magnus’ fingers drift from his lips, down his chin and down his neck. His featherlight touches send shivers through Alec, goosebumps leaving a trail on his skin.

“ _Sorry, are my hands cold?_ ” Magnus asks, breath caught in a whisper.

Alec only shakes his head, hands raising from where they’ve been stationed at his side. He mirrors Magnus’ movements, just holding him and looking at every beautiful dip and curve across Magnus’ face. He notices a light dust of blush come across Magnus’ cheeks the longer he stares. Magnus bites his lip again, and Alec moves to brush his thumb across the bottom lip, gently pulling it out from its confines.

Alec’s hazel eyes glisten under him as they focus on Magnus. He finds his breath is yet again caught in his lungs.

“ _I’m the luckiest man in the world,_ ” Magnus breathes out with a sigh, and he can feel Alec chuckle under him.

“ _I think that’s my line,_ ” he retorts, hands trailing to the back of Magnus’ neck. His fingers graze the shaved hairs there, reveling in the coarse texture that contrasts against the soft look Magnus gives him.

Magnus’ eyes drop to Alec’s lips. “ _I love you._ ”

Alec pulls him in, lips meeting gently, meekly. Unlike most of the other kisses they’ve shared, this kiss is delicate like the snowflakes falling outside his window. They carry meaning, and as each kiss builds, they can both feel the emotions behind them building more and more. Alec kisses him again, lips sliding languidly against Magnus’, and it’s all Magnus can do but sigh into the kiss.

They part only a minute later. Alec feels breathless, not because of all the kissing, but because he just can’t believe he is _this lucky._

“ _I love you too, Magnus,_ ” Alec replies, pressing a couple more chaste kisses to his lips before peppering one on each cheek, his nose, and forehead. Magnus sighs over him, hands threading through his hair.

They stay there a few more moments, just letting their emotions settle. Soon, Magnus peels away, saying his legs are too sore in their current position. He sits back next to Alec, but closer so that his head rests against Alec’s shoulder.

“Magnus?”

“Mm?”

“I got something for you.”

Magnus pulls back and blinks in surprise. “Y-You didn’t have to.”

Alec smiles at him, placing a chaste kiss against his lips. He pulls himself off the couch and circles over to the kitchen, where a couple shopping bags are hidden in the cupboards. He takes a large breath before taking the small bag over to Magnus. He sits back down on the couch and hands over the small black bag to Magnus, a soft smile decorating his face.

“ _Open it,_ ” he encourages.

Magnus does, hands digging into the paper of the bag. He takes out a small, rectangular object, a painted nail grazing against the threading on it.

“An omamori charm?”

Alec nods. “It’s supposed to bring you luck and protection.”

A gentle, endearing smile paints itself across Magnus’ features as he looks back up at Alec with that same warm, encompassing gaze. “ _Thank you, Alexander,”_ he says. “ _You continue to surprise me._ ”

Alec shifts a bit, turning more to face him.

“I uh…I actually have one more.”

Another surprised look settles on Magnus’ face. “O-Oh…” He lets out a breathy laugh. “I didn’t realize we could get multiple, I just got one and—”

“Magnus—” Alec cuts him off. He takes a deep breath. “I’m going to be honest, you may hate it. And if you don’t want it, just say the word and you won’t see it again.”

Magnus’ eyes flood with uncertainty. “ _Alexander,_ ” he calls, hands trying to caress his jaw. Alec pulls back, shaking his head. Magnus stops his actions, waiting as he watches Alec suddenly grow flustered, a direct antithesis of the calm he had felt moments ago. It isn’t until he sees Alec set down a velvet box in his hands that the breath in his lungs completely vanishes.

Alec moves silently, opening up the box to reveal a silver ring sitting silently in the velvet slot. The ring itself is rather beautiful, sleek and well crafted. In the center of the ring is a small ‘L’ engraved in a cursive type font. Surrounding it are what appear to be small flames. He looks up from the box to look at Magnus, who has been rendered speechless.

He gapes a few times, mouth moving but no words coming out. He tears his gaze away from the ring to look up at Alec, eyes searching for possible answers. “A-Alexander, what is—?”

“This is a ring that I was given a couple years ago,” Alec begins, looking down at the ring. “Before everything with Max, my mother gave me this ring in hopes I would give it to someone special someday.” Alec lifts his gaze. “I-I’m not proposing, so…I don’t want you to freak out because of that. I just—” He bites his lip. “ _You mean the world to me, Magnus. And there’s no one I’d rather give this to than you._ ”

Magnus’ fingers close around the velvet box, breath still trying to find its way back into his lungs. “ _Are you sure?_ ” He asks. “This is a family heirloom, Alexander,” Magnus’ eyes meet Alec’s. “ _Are you sure?_ ” He repeats, his mind unable to come up with any other words.

Alec nods. “ _I’m as sure as the day I first kissed you, as sure as I said I love you for the first time,_ ” he whispers out, pressing closer to Magnus. “ _I want you to have it, if you want to of course._ ”

Magnus’ eyes are glazed over with so much emotion that Alec can’t tell what he will say. His hands are shaking, and he’s sure Magnus can feel it.

“ _I want this, Alexander,_ ” Magnus manages to say, though his voice cracks. He looks up at Alec and tears slip from his eyes. “ _I’m sure of it._ ”

He releases a long-held breath as his shaky fingers pluck the ring from its confines. He looks up to Magnus. “ _Which finger?_ ”

Magnus offers out his left hand. “ _I know you said you weren’t proposing, but…_ ” He bites his lip. “I want this to be a promise, a promise of love and affection. I want this to be my reminder…a reminder that I love you so much, so unconditionally and wholly.”

Alec swallows thickly as he nods, knowing full well words would probably fail him now. He takes Magnus’ left hand in his right, sliding the ring onto Magnus’ left ring finger. The cool metal contrasts greatly against the warmth of his hands, and Alec can’t help but focus on the fact that Magnus accepted the ring. That he’s _wearing_ the ring.

A couple stray tears fall from Magnus’ eyes and Alec brushes the tears away. A moment later, Magnus leans up, pulling him in for another intimate, all-encompassing kiss. He loses his composure, melting into the kiss and just reveling in the fact that Magnus _accepted the ring._

Magnus pulls back far too soon for Alec’s liking. His eyes trail back down to the ring as he lets out a breathy laugh. “ _Now my gift will seem insignificant,_ ” he jokes.

“ _Magnus,_ ” Alec coos, “ _Nothing from you is insignificant._ ”

Magnus smiles, pressing another chaste kiss to Alec’s lips before pulling away to grab his gift. He draws a handheld package from his coat hanging on the rack on the door before pattering back over to Alec. He sits back next to him, handing over the gift to Alec.

“ _Merry Christmas, darling._ ”

Alec draws his attention to the gift. It’s small, but it’s shape is all too familiar. It’s wrapped elegantly and almost far too perfectly, but he tears away the paper, slowly unveiling the gift. Magnus watches him as he unwraps it, nerves settling in his stomach as his fingers glide against the ring on his left hand.

“What do you think?” Magnus asks cautiously.

Alec’s hands shake slightly as he pulls the book out from its wrapping. It’s an older book, sure, and quite small compared to most books he has now. The pages are probably worn to all hell, and the cover shows its age as well. Inscribed in faded golden letters on the front and etched into spine of the book is one name: _Oscar Wilde_.

 _“Magnus,_ ” Alec breathes out unbelievably. “What edition is this?”

Magnus frowns a bit. “I’m not sure,” he begins, “but it’s a very early edition that I found during one of my many travels. As I studied literature, I would always look for books when I went anywhere with Ragnor.” He nods to the book. “That was the first book I ever found, and the collection of poems there are some of my favorites.” A small smile pulls at the corner of his lips. “After you visited me at work a few days ago, I thought that maybe—” he cuts himself off, looking to Alec, who continues to stare at the book. “D-Do you like it?”

Alec’s hands breeze over the book, opening the bindings. There’s a faint crunch from the old pages moving as he opens is. His hands brush against the coarse texture. “ _I love this,_ ” Alec says breathlessly.  He looks to Magnus with so much emotions in his eyes. “ _Thank you, Magnus, I love it._ ”

Magnus smiles back at him, as they meet to share another brief kiss. It’s sweet and meaningful, and perhaps beats most of the kisses he’s received or given in his life. When Alec pulls away, he yawns.

“Oh fuck,” he apologizes, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Magnus says. “It’s been a long day.”

Alec leans his head back against the couch. “That it has.”

Magnus suddenly moves up, taking Alec’s hands in his, pulling him from the couch. “I know the best way for this night to end.”

“Oh?” Alec asks curiously as Magnus pulls them towards the other room.

“There’s probably a bed big enough for two somewhere in this apartment that is calling our names, and a few dumb designers on _Project Runway_ we can complain about.”

Alec chuckles at his suggestion, wrapping his arms around Magnus and laughing breathlessly against him before pressing another kiss—this one a bit deeper—to Magnus’ lips.

“ _Sounds perfect._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GASP  
> A CHAPTER WITHOUT... (a lot of) ANGST?????? has the world ended?
> 
> Fun fact: The Way We Were is AN ACTUAL BOOKSTORE I visited on a road trip last year. It’s in this really quaint, small town and the store is packed to the gills with books of every type of genre. It was really such a cool place so I thought it would suit Ragnor and Magnus’ work perfectly, as well as peak to Alec’s interests.  
> Also: my intention for the Lightwood family ring was for it to act somewhat like a promise ring  
> these two are just so new to their dynamic that putting something as serious as marriage or proposing is way too soon for these two  
> but in this case, I wanted the ring to be a sign for Magnus that he’s loved and that he is not what Camille has drilled into him. 
> 
>  
> 
> The next chapter will get back to the plot, including how they're gonna start cracking down on Camille. Stay tuned!  
> As always, you can find me over on [ tumblr!](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/)


	21. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a new year, new strides are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter has taken HORRENDOUSLY forever to create holy shit
> 
> You guys are looking at a bigger chapter than BOTH PARTS of chapter 17, which was almost 21k. this chapter is about another thousand over that, so it caps off at over 22k words.  
> Needless to say, there’s a lot going on in this chapter. 
> 
> **Trigger Warnings:**  
>  Graphic Depictions of Violence (mainly autopsy and crime scenes), Gun Violence
> 
> During the club scene, there's a couple songs I played while writing them. The slower one can be found [ here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IccTgfT-uvY) and the second song [ here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMSMM3uZ0Uw)
> 
> one last thing: there is also a smut scene here. It's fairly obvious where it starts, and if you want to skip it, just ctrl f to the line "glad to be of service to you". 
> 
> Now without further ado, enjoy the longest chapter of Take the Stand so far!  
> (note: i preread this and i tried to fix any mistakes, but if there are some i missed, comment and I'll make the changes!)

“Happy New Year,” Izzy greets.

“Not sure how happy a year it is just yet,” Alec replies, sliding on a blue latex glove over his hands as he crosses under the yellow police tape, walking into the old bar. It has a bit of rustic charm to it, but it’s overlooked by the crime scene covering it.

Unlike any of their other crime scenes, this one features multiple people. Though Elliot Nourse was found with his lover, this goes above and beyond. In the center of the bar floor, five different people sit strapped in their chairs, heads hanging over their laps. They each face each other, and in the middle, a pentagram is drawn connecting them.

Looking around the rest of the bar, Alec can see all the blood trails and smashed glass across the bar tucked in the corner. There’s blood spatter at various places on the walls and those familiar scratch marks on the floor. The air itself reeks of the mix of blood and alcohol, the musty atmosphere of the bar doing nothing to help waft out the stench.

Alec turns his attention back to the bodies, he nods to the pentagram. “That’s new.”

“Yeah,” Izzy agrees, waltzing past him as she goes to poke at the first victim of the five. “I think the goal was to try and throw us off.”

“Why do you say that?”

Izzy wraps her fingers gently around the hair of the girl and coaxes it away from her neck. “Because they’re Downworlders.”

Luke’s eyes widen. “All of them?”

Izzy backs away from the girl, moving around the circle and glancing at their necks. She straightens up from the last body, nodding. “They all have the mark.”

Alec’s gaze trails across the bodies. “We’ll need to dive into everything we can with these five,” he starts. “First we need to identify who they are, what subgroup they belonged to, and then we should notify the appropriate leaders.” He looks to Luke. “We owe them that much.”

Luke nods, though his eyes latch onto one body. “No way…” He strides over to the other girl, who’s silver hangs in her face. He carefully tips her head back to see her face. He winces and looks away.

Izzy senses it immediately. “Do you know her, Luke?” She asks carefully.

Luke nods, stepping back from the girl. He wears a saddened look. “Her name was Gretel, part of the werewolf subgroup,” he informs while Izzy writes down some quick notes. “She was one of Maia’s best.”

Alec’s gut lurches at that. “Do you recognize anyone else?”

Luke turns around, gently pushing back the heads to reveal their faces. Another concerned glint crosses his face. “Him,” he states. “He just got out of Edom last week. He’s a Seelie,” he informs, pointing to the leaf-like tattoos across the left side of his face and neck. “Meliorn, I think the name was.”

Alec frowns as he surveys the others. “So a werewolf, seelie, and…”

“Two warlocks and a vampire,” Izzy notes, looking at the last male. “Looks like we have the whole Downworld spread here.”

Alec’s brows furrow as he looks to their necks, exposed thanks to Luke. “Their necks have been slit,” he notes. “That’s a deviation from the normal MO, isn’t it?”

Izzy shakes her head. “It is, but it’s not the COD,” she retorts, gesturing to the horizontal slice across the base of their necks. “If they were killed by slicing the neck, blood splatter would indicate it. There are number of veins and arteries in the neck that are cut in a slice like this, and with that, blood spurts everywhere.” She turns to Gretel, looking over her appearance. “But these bodies are too clean for that to have happened before they died.”

“Then it’s overkill.”

“Extreme overkill,” Izzy adds. “From the looks of it, the stab wounds are deep and calculated in places that cause hemorrhaging and excessive blood loss.” She looks back to Alec and Luke. “The COD was most likely stabbing and left to bleed out, so a slow means of death and aggressive overkill afterwards.” She looks down at the pentagram drawn on the floor. “I won’t be able to determine if any of them have any poison in their systems until I get back to the morgue though.”

“It’s a start,” Alec adds.

Izzy frowns. “Whatever sick bastard did this, they definitely had something against these people. Overkill like this is something I’ve seen when the person responsible is close to them.”

Luke nods. “We’ll look into their lives, see if any of their paths cross each other’s aside from being in the Downworld.” He looks to Alec. “In the meantime, we should stay in contact with Officer Penhallow as well,” he notes. “I’ll request for her to send over everything they have to make sure we can set up a good profile.”

“I’ll talk with Magnus about it too,” Alec adds. “We need to see if any of these Downworlders had connections with Camille.” He points to the vampire member. “I’d say, most likely the vampire member would be the best candidate.”

“The more information we can get about Camille and her actions, the better,” Luke agrees. He turns back to Izzy. “Call us when you get the autopsy details.” He looks down to the pentagram. “We won’t let this get any more out of hand.”

 

~~~~

 

Magnus is in his apothecary when Alec comes home. However, he’s not alone.

“Take one capsule a day, and if it’s not gone by the time those capsules are gone, come back to me.”

Alec stands silently near the doorway, watching as Magnus interacts with his client, doing documentation and preparing the herbs needed for his client. He’s just about to dismiss them when he catches sight of Alec.

“Alexander,” Magnus greets warmly, “I didn’t hear you come in.” He gestures to his client. “Raphael and I were just talking about you.”

Magnus’ client turns to reveal Raphael, donning his classic dark dress shirt and suit. He gives a curt nod to Alec.

“Thank you, Magnus,” Raphael says, directing his attention back to Magnus. “Hopefully these will work for her. I’ll let you get back to your work.” He gives another nod to the both of them before he slips out the doorway of the apothecary.

When Alec hears the front door close, he walks over closer to Magnus. “So you’re making medicines again?” He asks, picking up a jar of… _something_.

Magnus scrawls a couple more things into his notebook. “I didn’t make an announcement or anything,” he begins, “but since I’m a free man, some of my old clients reached out.” He stops writing, placing down the pen gently on the paper below. “My incarceration destroyed most of my reputation with the Downworld, so I wanted to try and establish some rapport.”

Alec’s brows furrow. He places down the jar, turning to face Magnus. “But you were proven innocent.”

“True, but many are still wary.”

Alec hums as Magnus cleans up the remaining herbs he prepared on the desk. He glances to the doorway. “Did you say anything to him? About Camille?” He adds.

Magnus stills for a moment, but then resumes. “No,” he says, “The Downworld is still relatively unstable right now, and I don’t want to induce more uncertainty until we figure out who else is helping her.” He looks up at Alec. “I did, however, ask if he had heard anything from Camille.”

“And?”

“And he’s heard nothing as of late,” he says, putting the jars of herbs from his desk back onto the shelves. “But he said he’d tell me the moment he hears from her.”

He closes and locks the glass doors to the shelves before gesturing Alec out of the apothecary. They move into the main area, and Magnus strides into the kitchen to make a drink. He opens up the cupboard with the coffee mugs.

“How was work?”

Alec opens his mouth, but doesn’t say anything. “We…got another call,” he manages out.

Magnus stops looking for a mug, closing the cupboard only to open another to grab a martini glass. He places it carefully on the countertop. “Another Downworlder?”

“Five,” Alec states grimly, and he can see the dread settling in Magnus’ shoulders.

“Were they Warlocks?”

Magnus’ voice wavers at the question, and it pulls at Alec’s heartstrings. “Two of them were,” he begins, trying to seem less harsh in tone. “There was also a vampire, werewolf, and a Seelie as well.”

Magnus curses under his breath as he pours his martini. He walks over to another cupboard, pulling out a jar of olives.

“Luke recognized the werewolf girl,” he starts, “and he happened to recognize the Seelie too. Apparently he was fresh out from the gates of Edom.”

That catches Magnus’ attention, gaze snapping towards Alec. “He was from Edom?”

Alec nods. “According to Luke, yes. Do you recognize the name ‘Meliorn’?”

Magnus stiffens. “H-He…” he swallows thickly. “Meliorn was my cellmate.”

“Did you know him well?”

Magnus shakes his head. “Not really, no. But he did take me to the infirmary a couple times after—” He cuts himself off, instead taking a large swig of his martini.

“ _Hey,_ ” Alec coos, stepping forward to brush his fingers across Magnus’ left forearm. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Alec notices Magnus’ look of distress change to one of careful thinking. “Magnus, what is it?”

Magnus places the glass down, looking at its reflection under the fluorescent light. “I was just thinking about Edom,” he trails. “I just—It’s not really related to Meliorn, but—” His brows creased together. “I just realized something.”

Alec frowns. “What is it?” He asks carefully, yet curiously.

Magnus steps back a bit, fingers instinctively trailing across his wrist scar. “When I was in Edom…my father and Azazel both tormented me. They constantly brought up the murder of my stepfather…” He shakes his head. “The thing is, they _shouldn’t_ have known about that.” He looks up to Alec. “That file was sealed by the court, and no one ever heard about it because it was deemed accidental. There’s only two people apart from that court who knew: you…and Camille.”

Alec’s eyes widen. “You think Camille told them?”

“That’s the only way they could know,” Magnus replies. “Unless, of course, there’s something you aren’t telling me.”

Alec shakes his head. “I never met them, Magnus. I was focused on getting you _out_ of there, not trying to keep you there.”

Magnus smiles a bit. “ _I know._ ” His smile quickly fades. “But that poses another question: how did she tell them?” He crosses his arms across his chest. “Edom is a maximum-security prison, and everyone who goes in or out is documented. There isn’t a thing that doesn’t go unnoticed,” he states. “And Camille is a well-known face of the Downworld. If she stepped foot in that place, the other Downworlders in Edom would have said something.” He swallows.

“But they didn’t, did they?”

Magnus shakes his head. “I didn’t hear anything about it. Not even from Meliorn or Elias.” He frowns. “So how could she have gotten that information to them?”

Alec opens his mouth to answer, but is interrupted by his phone ringing. It’s his work tone. “Give me a second,” he says, stepping away. “Lightwood.”

“Alec!” Izzy greets on the other line. “I got the tox-screen back, and it turns out all of them have the poison in their veins,” she states. “It looks like a bigger dosage, and some of our screenings can pick up the materials and—”

“Izzy,” Alec interrupts, turning to look at Magnus. His lips a pressed in a firm line, fingertips tapping soundlessly against the counter in both impatience and waiting. “It’s not that I don’t want to hear autopsy details right now, but I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

Izzy remains quiet on the other line. “Alec, if you seriously answered the phone while having sex, I will come over and slap the living daylights out of you.”

Alec sputters. “We are not—!” He scoffs. He’s close to hitting the ‘call button’ when something clicks. “Humor me on something.”

“I’d rather not interrupt your time with—”

Alec places down the phone, putting her on speaker. “I told Magnus about the bodies we found today,” Alec interrupts yet again. “And he said he knew Meliorn.”

“Really?”

Magnus nods. “He was my cellmate.”

“Oh, good. Did he happen to tell you anything about himself? Like friends, family, or…?”

“No, we weren’t that close,” Magnus states grimly. “But thinking about Meliorn brought me back to something that happened in Edom.” Izzy remains quiet on the other line. “I told Alexander that my father and Azazel both knew of the events concerning my stepfather’s death. Aside from Alec, there was only one other person I told.”

“Camille,” Alec states, filling in the blanks.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Izzy says, reeling it back a bit. “You think Camille got into Edom?”

“No,” Alec rejects. “Camille is too recognizable and Edom is too secure of a facility for her to ever gain entry without causing some kind of commotion.”

“Yeah…you’re right,” Izzy agrees. There’s another moment of silence before she speaks up. “What about a guard?”

“Huh?”

“A guard,” Izzy repeats over the line. “If Camille knew a guard, and maybe had enough dirt to get them seriously in trouble, they may have been the person to pass the information from one place to the other.”

Alec’s eyes widen as he looks from the phone to Magnus, who shares the same wide-eyed look. “There’s just one thing, we don’t have clearance into investigating any of the guards from Edom.”

Izzy seems to understand that. “What about the captain of the guard? Surely you could ask him first, see if there’s anyone whose shown signs of odd behaviors recently.”

Alec nods. He looks to Magnus. “Do you remember who the captain of the guard was back in Edom?”

 Magnus has to think back, back to the memories he desperately wants to forget. He remembers the dread, the swarming wave of certainty that his life was over as he was taken into prison. He was stripped of his clothes, his rights, his friends, and forced into the hell that was Edom.

He closes his eyes.

The silence is deafening. There is a line of other inmates with him, none he recognized. He remembers the warden, golden and glistening like the sun. He dressed in an all-white suit with not a hair on his head out of place. The embodiment of perfection, yet the essence of pure fear. He was so bright, so blinding.

But what blinds, brings darkness.

The captain’s words are lost from his memory. But he remembers darkness…the darkness of his uniform, the shine from his boots muted by their void of color. He was dark, voice wracked with spite. His face is fuzzy, he never met the captain’s gaze. But he remembers the warden, his lips forming the words that sealed his fate.

“…Verlac,” Magnus whispers quietly into the air around them. His eyes are still closed, and the words sound familiar against his ears, but foreign to his tongue. “The captain’s last name was Verlac.”

“Izzy?”

“I’m on it,” she quips, and both Alec and Magnus can hear the quick typing of keys. “Verlac…Verlac…” she repeats, searching for the name. “Got it.”

Alec turns, placing both of his hands on the countertop. “I’m surprised you were able to bypass the system so quickly.”

“I didn’t. I used your ID,” Izzy states. “Are you proud of me? I actually did the right thing.”

Magnus resists a small chuckle as Alec shakes his head. “You hacked the system for my login, didn’t you?”

He can practically hear Izzy smile on the other side of the line. “You’re too predictable, having Magnus as your password for this new quarter.”

Magnus’ laughter rumbles from his throat at that, and Alec can feel his face flaring up in embarrassment. “The name, Iz,” he deadpans, desperate to get off the subject before Magnus or Izzy can tease him about it.

“Right.” She clicks something. “The captain’s full name is Sebastian Verlac. He’s a young man, too. Seems to be doing well for himself.”

“Does he show up in our database?”

“Only because he’s law enforcement. Edom’s high security dictates they have mandatory background checks. This guy is as squeaky clean as they come.”

Alec shares a concerned look to Magnus before directing his attention back to his phone. “Do you have an address?

 

~~~~

 

Sebastian Verlac’s apartment is close to Queens. The complex is relatively small in size, nothing too big or too fancy. They are lucky enough that the landlord is willing to cooperate, giving them the suite number without much resistance.

That brings Alec and Luke outside the door to suite 36D. With a careful glance to Luke, Alec knocks on the door.

“Sebastian Verlac,” Alec yells across the door, “This is Alec Lightwood with the Brooklyn Police Department. We need to ask you a few questions.”

They wait a moment, listening closely for any sign of movement on the other side of the door.

Silence.

“Sebastian Verlac!” Alec tries again, beating his fist harshly against the door. “BPD, open up!”

When he remains unresponsive, Alec releases an aggravated groan, rolling his eyes back. “They never make things easy,” he mutters, taking a few steps back. He takes a deep breath before thrusting forward, forcefully entering the apartment. Both Luke and Alec equip their guns, carefully pacing around the different rooms.

“Clear!”

“Clear!”

As Alec moves into another room, Luke yells. “Alec!”

Alec immediately stops, darting out of the room he just cleared and immediately over to Luke. “Luke, what’s wro—?”

Alec stops in his tracks as Luke stands across the room with his back to Alec. Alec carefully paces over to Luke, peering over his shoulder curiously.

 _“Holy shit_.”

“We need to call Isabelle,” Luke states distractedly. “She’s going to want to see this.”

 

~~~~

 

“Well, I know there’s a saying of keeping your skeletons in the closet, but this is too much,” Izzy states as she bends over the skeleton, looking over its contents. The skeleton itself still has its old, worn, moth-eaten clothes clinging to the bones. It’s incredibly haunting, Alec thinks, to think that someone was stuffed into a locket closet like this and left to die.

“Do you think you can get any DNA off them?”

“Oh, most definitely!” Izzy replies with a bit too much excitement in her voice. “It’ll be easy, as I can run dental records back at the lab, but figuring out how exactly they died may be more difficult.” She rises, but keeps her gaze trained on the skeletons. “I can already tell you from what’s here that we have a 5’11 male.” She points to the pelvis. “The pelvis isn’t nearly as large as a woman’s typically is, and the distance here between the ischium bones is pretty small.” She shrugs. “Those two details are pretty obvious indicators of gender from first glance.”

Luke frowns. “We won’t know much until we get an ID on who this is,” he starts, “but in the meantime, we’ll issue a citywide APB for Mr. Verlac.” He turns to Alec and Izzy. “We need answers, before this gets out of hand. Isabelle, I’m going to need you and your staff on top of this. We have a lot of bodies to analyze, and the quicker we get those results, the faster we can stop this before it gets anymore out of hand.” Izzy nods, turning to give directions to her coworkers to collect the skeleton.

“Out of all the things I expected, this wasn’t one of them,” Alec states as they carefully take the skeleton away.

“No one could’ve foreseen this,” Luke states. “But perhaps we should thank Magnus and your quick wit, for now we have another possible lead on Camille and evidence of corruption in Edom’s facility.” He looks to Alec. “Keep your focus on finding Camille,” he orders. “I will contact the warden of Edom myself, see what information we can get about Mr. Verlac in the meantime.”

Alec nods, eyes never leaving the forensics team as they usher the skeleton out of Sebastian Verlac’s apartment. A sinking feeling pulls at his insides.

Something isn’t right.

But he can’t tell what.

 

~~~~

 

The next week is spent relentlessly scrolling through paperwork, through autopsy files and findings to try and find connections in the murders. Izzy still has her hands full in the morgue, and it takes time for them to determine everything in their searches.

They have managed, however, to find out the concoction of poison that each victim sustained. Due to the high dosage, Izzy and her team were able to identify a few key ingredients. Thanks to a visit from Magnus, they were able to find that the poison was from a recipe found in the Book of the White, still under Alec’s care.

“ _This further proves the fact that Camille is one of the two killers behind these murders,”_ Magnus had stated grimly. “ _Only Downworlders could know of poison like this, and since I had the book in my possession for so long, it isn’t a far reach to know she probably memorized a few recipes._ ”

Despite the strides in evidence against Camille, there had been no developments in actually _finding_ her. They looked into every victim’s pathways outside and inside of the Downworld. He talked with Raphael, desperate to see if the Vampire they found was associated with Camille at all. Raphael simply shook his head, saying the Vampire member was a relatively new associate: no connections, no communications.

Needless to say, Alec was getting irritated at constantly running into roadblocks.

“Alexander,” a familiar voice rings out. Alec stirs from his thoughts, peering up from his files to see Magnus standing in the doorway of the office they cleared out during New Years. He wears a soft smile as he paces into the neatened office space. Alec watches as he comes forward.

“I didn’t miss dinner, did I?”

Magnus shakes his head. “It’s almost ready. I just have to set the table,” he says, striding around the desk until he stands next to Alec. He looks down to the files. “Anything?”

Alec frowns, brows creasing together. “Nothing,” he grumbles. “How is Camille so _damn_ slippery? We have plenty of bodies to know that she’s still out wreaking havoc, and yet we still don’t have any clue where the hell she is!” He huffs pushing away the files on his desk.

Magnus wears an indignant look. “She’s always been that way,” he starts carefully. “I know saying this may not be what you want to hear, but give it time.” He looks back to Alec, brown eyes stormy. “She’s a narcissist, completely full of herself. Keep pressure on this case, on her, but don’t expect anything to immediately happen. She’ll slip up eventually,” he adds, fingers brushing over Alec’s arm, “and I know you won’t let her get away.”

Alec smiles up at him, muttering a silent thank you as he pulls Magnus down by the shirt collar to press a gentle kiss to Magnus’ lips. Magnus hums against him in approval.

“Do you have a shift at the precinct tomorrow?” Magnus asks quietly, breath puffing against Alec’s lips.

Alec bites his lip on a smile, fingertips lightly caressing Magnus’ cheeks. “Did you have something in mind?”

Magnus opens his mouth to respond, but it’s cut off by a silent gasp as one of Alec’s hands sneaks around to give a teasing grip of his ass. Alec chuckles when Magnus swats away his hand. “I’m trying to be serious here.”

“Oh, that’s a mistake,” Alec hums, standing from his seat in attempts to press against Magnus again.

Magnus pulls away with a frown. “You’re not making this easy,” he pouts. He rolls his eyes when Alec chuckles again. “If you’re going to be like that, then I’ll go finish making dinner.”

He turns, but barely gets a step further before Alec reaches out to stop him.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Alec says, his teasing tone fading. “I’ll be serious.” He locks eyes with Magnus. “What did you want to ask me?”

Magnus takes a deep breath, fingertips brushing up Alec’s forearms before they rest on his biceps. “I want to take you out, Alexander,” he states. “You deserve a day to clear your head. So,” he trails, looking up at Alec with hopeful eyes, “Will you go out with me?”

Alec throws another quick glance to his desk full of files before he turns back to Magnus. “ _Yes,_ ” he states breathlessly. “ _I’d love that._ ”

Magnus smiles again. “Tomorrow then?”

Alec leans forward, pressing a soft—yet deep—kiss to Magnus’ lips.

“ _Tomorrow._ ”

 

~~~~

 

“So are you going to tell me where we’re going now?” Alec asks as he stands in front of the full-length mirror, buttoning up his light grey-blue shirt. With each button, he hides some of the fresh hickeys that Magnus gave him just moments before.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Magnus counters, voice echoing from the bathroom.

Alec pouts slightly. “C’mon Magnus, you at least have to tell me _why_ I’m getting so dressed up,” he states, walking over to see Magnus applying his eyeliner. “Did you plan a reservation at Woods or something?”

Magnus stops applying his eyeliner long enough to do the “zip lip” gesture. Alec frowns. “You’ll just have to see.”

Alec lets out a dissatisfied groan before leaning closer to Magnus, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to the skin behind Magnus’ ear. He can hear Magnus curse lightly at the action.

“ _Alexander,_ ” he growls lowly, “I’m going to mess up my eyeliner.”

Alec chuckles as he presses closer to Magnus, just enough so his hips are flush against his ass. He rolls his hips lightly and Magnus chokes on a breath. When Alec does it again, he slams down his eyeliner, turning to Alec and frowning at him.

“Stop that,” he pouts.

Alec drops his head to Magnus’ neck, placing more open-mouthed kisses there. “ _Stop what_?”

Magnus whimpers as his shaking fingers wrap around Alec’s shoulder, effectively pushing him back. Magnus wears a frustrated look, but Alec doesn’t miss the red color to his tawny cheeks. “You’re not going to get me to crack, Alexander,” he states. “And we’re already behind because you _insisted_ to fool around in the shower.”

Alec’s eyes rake down his boyfriend’s shirt, a plain black Henley covered by a bomber jacket with white detailing on the front and red stripes that extend from the shoulder to the cuff of the jacket. A smirk pulls at the corner of his lips. “ _Someone_ didn’t seem to mind it too much,” he teases, hand coming around to squeeze Magnus’ ass through his skinny jeans. The action earns a glare from his boyfriend.

“Alright, that’s it,” he says, pushing Alec back before leading him out the bathroom. Alec is barely out the door of the bathroom before Magnus shuts it and locks it. “I’m going to finish getting ready. Go fix yourself some coffee or something, you pervy old man!” He yells from behind the door.

Alec chuckles. “If I’m old, what does that make you? You’re older!” he counters back, but Magnus doesn’t respond. With a sigh, Alec walks out into the living room before picking up a book from one of Magnus’ shelves, making use of his time while Magnus finishes up.

It’s about ten more minutes before Magnus pads into the living room, eyes completely rimmed in the dark kohl. A hint of red eyeshadow peeks at the corners of his eyes.

“All done?”

“All done,” Magnus repeats with a smile. Alec stands up, placing his book to the side. Magnus presses forward to plant a kiss against his lips. “Ready to go?”

Alec smirks. “Depends. Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

A teasing look flickers in Magnus’ dark eyes. “Brooklyn.”

He laughs at Alec’s dissatisfied look before walking towards the door. He stops moments later, hand wrapped around the handle of the door.

“I wanted to take you into the city,” he starts, the teasing tone dissipating. “There are a lot of places I want to show you, places that are very important to me.”

There’s a brush of fingers against his hands, and Alec presses his chest against Magnus’ back, his nose brushing the skin of his neck. It’s not like his teasing antics earlier, nor is it laced in passionate desperation. It’s comforting and intimate.

“ _Okay,_ ” Alec whispers out, hot breath caressing the skin. “ _Lead the way._ ”

 

~~~~

 

Alec has lived in New York all his life. After living here so many years, he thought he had seen it all. And yet, here is Magnus, showing him more of the world than he ever thought possible.

They travel countless places in Brooklyn from these strange hole-in-the-wall shops and attractions to abandoned parks and quiet lakes. Each destination shows him a bit more of the world Magnus was a part of before all of this. By midday, they sit in Java Jones, a rather trendy—but cozy—coffee shop that Magnus had said was his favorite. The air smells strongly of coffee and warmth, a stark contrast to the bone chilling, mid-January weather outside.

As they sit at a table nursing their hot coffees, Alec notices a conflicted expression cross Magnus’ face as he stares down at his drink. “Magnus?”

He looks up, the troubled expression on his face instantly disappearing from his features. “Yes, Alexander?”

Alec’s brows furrow, reaching forward to take Magnus’ free hand in one of his own. He gives it a gentle squeeze. “Is something wrong?”

Magnus’ lips curve up in a smile, though Alec spots a slight hesitance to the action. “I’m fine, sweetheart,” he replies. Alec quirks a brow. “Honest.”

Alec takes another moment to analyze his features before taking a breath, eyes dropping to their joined hands. The pad of his thumb traces along the ring he gave Magnus a few weeks back absentmindedly.

“Your left foot always taps against the floor when you’re nervous,” he starts. “And when you’re scared to say something, you get this furrowed brow. Your smiles have a hesitance to them and the tone of your voice drops slightly too.” He looks up to meet Magnus’ gaze. “I know there’s something you want to say, and you don’t have to be scared to tell me. I’m here for you, _always._ ”

Magnus tries to keep up his front, but it’s not long before his walls crumble. He lets out an irritated, sarcastic muffle of _cops_ before raising a suddenly vulnerable gaze to Alec’s form.

“There’s one more place I want to take you,” he confesses, licking his lips as he tries to form his next words carefully. “You…You may not like it at first, but I think—” he cuts himself off, swallowing thickly. “I think it would be good to go.”

Alec’s hazel eyes drift across his boyfriend’s suddenly anxious form. “ _Magnus,_ ” he starts softly, “If it’s important to you, I’ll go.” He gives another gentle squeeze to their joined hands. “Your happiness is important to me, and if this is something you want to do, I won’t stop you.”

The gentle touches and soft words seem to ease Magnus’ anxiousness. A warm, honest—and less hesitant—smile crosses his face before he nods to Alec.

“Okay, then let’s get going.”

 

~~~~

 

Out of all the places Alec could have thought of, St. Barbara’s Church in Bushwick is the last place Alec thought of going.

The exterior of the building as they approach it is _beautiful_ , with a red tiled roof contrasting against the white detailing and yellow brickwork of the chapel itself. There are two bell towers at the front of the church, and a dome towards the back end of the church. As they get closer, Alec watches as the building towers over him. The intricate design work on the front of the church becomes all the more prominent. As they stop in front of the mahogany doors, Alec feels a little breathless.

“ _Magnus,_ ” he breathes out, eyes locked on the architecture before him. “ _It’s beautiful_ …”

Magnus turns his gaze from Alec towards the church, looking up to the bell towers. “I met Raphael here at this church,” he starts quietly. “Years ago, I was…in a very bad place. I had lost myself, and I felt as though I didn’t fit in anywhere. It was cold and rainy that day, much like this one.” Alec notices his sad smile. “I sat in to escape the rain, and I remember looking up at the ceilings in there and wondering how someone could craft something so beautiful. I met Raphael moments afterwards.”

“I didn’t realize he was religious,” Alec says, gaze falling back to Magnus.

Magnus hums. “He doesn’t spread it around much,” he says simply. “But his faith is important to him, and keeps him grounded in a time of need.” Magnus’ eyes look to Alec. “I want to show you the interior of it,” he states carefully. “I want to show you what made me have hope when things…when my life was at its worst.”

His words carry so much weight, it causes the nerves in Alec’s body to spark. Suddenly he’s anxious, perhaps as anxious as Magnus was when he made the decision to bring him here. To show someone something that means so much to them…Alec finds it almost an honor that he’s lucky enough for Magnus to trust him with this.

Alec steps forward to go through the front doors of the church, but Magnus’ pulls him back, shaking his head. He doesn’t say anything as he wordlessly leads Alec around the side of the chapel, around the corner of the street until they reach the west entrance of the church. Alec’s brows furrow.

“Are you sure we can enter this way? What if mass is—”

“There isn’t a mass today,” Magnus says, stepping up to the stone steps of the entryway. He takes a deep breath as his hand rests against the door. “They have them in the mornings typically, but they should be over by now.” He looks to Alec with another careful glint in his eyes. “Are you ready?”

Despite the sudden anxiousness he feels, he nods, taking Magnus’ hand in his. Magnus pushes open the door to the cathedral, stepping onto the holy ground and out from the cold, misty rain.

At first, the church is dark. Thanks to the overcast afternoon, little sunlight comes through the stained-glass windows. However, the lights hanging from the ceiling cast a soft, yellow glow amongst the space. Alec’s eyes instantly draw upwards to the vaults in the ceiling.

His breath leaves his lungs.

 

 

 

 

Just the extensive _detail_ of the carvings and paintings across the ceiling are beyond words. There are bands of gold painted across some of the vault lines, with various illustrations painted across the ceilings, depicting the different stories of the Bible and of Jesus and his disciples. They press forward, shoes silently tapping against the marble flooring below their feet.

As they move from the north transept towards the crossing, Alec’s eyes flow into the center of the church, where the dome towers above them. It’s as breathtaking as the rest of the church, with an octagonal pattern carved into its stone infrastructure. His eyes lead to its center, which opens up to show the broad expanse of overcast sky. He turns, looking towards the apse, with the altar dimly light by candlelight. The stained-glass windows in the apse shine over him.

He gapes, the words on his tongue lost at the sheer beauty and awe of the structure. He can feel Magnus’ hand squeeze around his.

“ _M-Magnus_ ,” he stammers out breathlessly, “ _this is—_ ” He shakes his head, breathing out a large sigh. “ _I’m speechless._ ”

Magnus doesn’t respond initially, taking Alec’s hand in both of his, cradling it close to his face. There’s a sense of despair in his expression, eyes screwed shut.

“ _This place…is a place of rebirth_ ,” he whispers quietly. “ _And it’s the best place I thought of that would be perfect for this_.”

Alec’s brows furrow as the last few words process in his head. He’s about to ask, eyes finally tearing away from the apse of the church to look at Magnus. He meets Magnus’ form for only a minute before his peripheral vision picks up movement. His eyes drift with the sudden stimulation, curiosity pulling at his mind.

As he turns towards the main entrance of the church, what is left of his smile falters, transforming from confusion to a sense of muted shock. His eyes are wide.

Though the entryway is just as hauntingly beautiful, it’s not what he focuses on.

The nave of the church is filled with dark wooden pews, filled practically to the brim with people. They sit quietly, all silently awaiting something. There are a large number of young children, no older than 13 or 14, as well as a handful of adults who appear a bit older than him.

His eyes trail over the large number of people, noticing their gazes are all trained on him. He tries to form words.

“ _M-Magnus_ ,” Alec whispers out in a stutter, breath caught in his throat. His hands shake in Magnus’, never leaving the gazes of the people watching him. “ _Magnus, what is this?_ ”

Magnus looks to Alec, eyes glimmering with uncertainty. His hands squeeze Alec’s gently and reassuringly. “This is a gathering…” he starts out carefully, “This is everyone from Max’s old elementary school in Manhattan. These people…these are all the people you saved that day, Alexander.”

Alec’s eyes widen in fear and horror, breath caught in his lungs. Emotions well up in his chest, choking him with the memories he’s tried so desperately to forget. As Magnus’ words sink in, he finds his gaze wavering over the kids, looking at him with a sense of dreaded despair. He wants the ground to cave up under him, to swallow him up and never let him out. His hands shake visibly, fear wracking through his body.

_You killed Max._

_It’s all your fault._

_They all blame you._

_You couldn’t save him._

 

_He can’t breathe._

“ _M-Magnus,_ ” he chokes, ripping his gaze away from the children. His hands find Magnus’ forearms, clutching them for what feels like dear life. He’s shaking so much, too much to be considered healthy but he isn’t focusing on that right now. His breath shudders painfully, desperate eyes locking onto Magnus. “ _Magnus, I can’t—_ ”

“Officer Lightwood?”

A shy voice echoes out into the silence of the church. It stills Alec’s shaking body, every nerve suddenly on edge. He remains clutched to Magnus’ stationary posture, but turns slightly enough to see a young boy rising from his pew. He shuffles out into the aisle, feet silently padding until he’s only a couple feet from Alec. The boy has dark ruffled hair with metal rimmed glasses. To Alec’s surprise, he doesn’t look angered at Alec’s appearance. Instead, he wears a look of muted sadness and something like awe. He takes another step forward.

“Officer Lightwood?” He asks carefully again, blue eyes trailing over Alec’s features. “Max…Max was one of my best friends,” he starts. “Back when he was alive, we spent all our time together.” There’s another pause of silence. “Do you remember?”

All eyes turn from the boy back to Alec, and the cold grasp of fear latches onto him again.

He really wishes that Magnus didn’t drag him here.

_You killed Max._

He couldn’t be forgiven.

“That day the man came to the school and started shooting,” the kid begins again, pulling Alec from his thoughts, “I was in the cafeteria with Max. The man started shooting and we hid. We were so scared,” he says, voice wavering slightly.

_That’s your fault._

_You couldn’t save him._

“Then he found where I was hiding. He…” the boy swallows thickly. “He pulled me out from there and pointed the gun to my face. He was going to kill me.” His voice wavers again, but he continues nevertheless. “But then you burst in. You weren’t scared.”

_You were scared._

_Your fear killed him._

_You killed Max._

“You fought against him, Officer Lightwood,” the voice echoes out meekly. “You fought him, and you saved my life.”

Blue eyes meet hazel.

“What happened with Max,” he starts.

Alec braces himself, stilling for the backlash he knows is going to come.

_They all blame you._

“That wasn’t your fault, Officer Lightwood.” He steps forward, close enough for his fingertips to brush against Alec’s forearm. “You did what you could to protect us, and you did everything you could to save Max. Though I am sad he died, I—” His eyes meet Alec’s once more. “I don’t blame you for his death, Officer Lightwood. I never did.”

The words hang in the air.

No one says anything, watching silently as Alec holds the boy’s gaze. He gapes, mouth moving soundlessly.

_He’s wrong._

_He hates you._

_You killed his best friend._

_It’s all your fault._

He’s about to turn away from the child, but another voice perks up. His eyes drift back to the pews, and an older woman dressed modestly walks up to them. Her hands rest on the boy’s shoulders, and her watery eyes gleam at him. Her lower lip trembles as she manages a smile.

“You saved my son, Officer Lightwood,” the mother says, a couple of tears falling down her pale cheeks. “You saved him, and I am forever grateful for your bravery, Mr. Lightwood.” She steps forward, taking a hold of his hands as Magnus steps away from him. Her breath shudders. “There are no words I can say that could ever compare to how grateful I am of your service.”

Alec’s eyes brush over her features, with a trembling smile and tears trailing down her face.

He feels a pull in his gut.

_They hate you._

Don’t they?

_You killed Max!_

The actions of one parent soon influences some of the other parents and their children to approach Alec, each sharing their stories with him and how grateful they are for his service and how much he had done for them that day. Past teachers also come up to him, thanking him and sharing their sorrows for Max’s death.

As each person approaches him, Alec is astounded by the amount of people who come to comfort him. He still has a hard time believing that none of these people _hate_ him like they’re _supposed to._

_It’s all your fault._

Isn’t it?

One of the last people to approach him is a middle aged, red-headed woman. She turns to lead a small, dark skinned young girl up to Alec. She meets Alec, and takes one of his hands in hers, shaking it firmly.

“My name is Iris,” she says, introducing herself. “And this is Madzie,” she continues, gesturing down to the little girl who hugs her leg shyly. “Madzie is my goddaughter, and her mother was at the school the day of the shooting.” She smiles softly before continuing. “She was pregnant at the time, and during the shooting she had been hiding in the cafeteria. If it weren’t for your bravery, my little Madzie wouldn’t be here,” she says, patting the top of Madzie’s head lightly before leaning down to pick her up in her arms. Her gaze drifts to the child in her arms and gives a small, encouraging smile. “Madzie, do you want to show Officer Lightwood what you made?”

Madzie nods shyly to Iris before she unfolds the piece of paper that she’s kept pressed against her chest. She unfolds it to show a crudely drawn picture in crayon. There are four people in the photo, one assumed to be her, one he assumes is Iris, and one more clearly labeled as Alec. She pushes the piece of paper closer to Alec.

“Thank you for saving Mommy, Mr. Lightwood,” she thanks quietly, her tone full of innocence. Her dark eyes meet Alec’s, and a hint of a smile forms. It spreads quickly before she giggles. “You’re a super hero!”

Alec’s eyes fall back down to the drawing as he takes it into his shaking hands.

_It’s all too much._

His eyes blur over with tears that have been pushing against his eyelids for the past hour. He can’t contain it anymore as the tears flow freely down his face. His legs fold under him, falling to his knees on the floor. He chokes on a sob as he feels the familiar brush of Magnus’ fingers against his shoulder blades.

“ _Alexander,_ ” he calls softly. Alec raises his head to meet his deep brown eyes, glazed in endearment. “None of them blame you for what happened to Max. You did the very best you could, and did everything you could to save him. You dwell on the fact that you couldn’t save everyone. But _look, Alexander,_ ” he says, gesturing to everyone around them. “Look at all of these people. These are the people you saved that day, whose lives continued because of you and your bravery. If you hadn’t had gone in when you did, who knows what could’ve happened.” His brows furrow as his hand presses against Alec’s chest. “Don’t dwell on the people you couldn’t save. Live in the fact that you saved many people’s lives, and that they’ve gone on to change other people’s lives, have families, and fall in love. They’ve done things that they may not have been able to do because of your actions. _You_ did that, Alexander. _Be proud of it._ ”

Alec’s breath shudders on another sob as he takes Magnus’ words in. He looks back out to everyone to see them standing from their pews. Their saddened expressions have been replaced with a gentle warmth of happiness. There is appreciation, endearment, and love that floats through the air. Alec’s heart swims.

_They don’t blame you._

Magnus helps Alec to stand back up, and when they stand fully together, the crowd of people all take an intake of breath before simultaneously saying:

 

“ _Thank you, Officer Lightwood!_ ”

 

The power behind the words hits him at full force. The demons swirling his mind fade away, and a newfound source of contentment floods his veins.

_They don’t blame you._

His body shakes from all the emotions coursing through him, and he’s sure that he probably looks like a mess with tears rushing down his face. But for a moment, he doesn’t care. He doesn’t mind the trembling lips or the watery eyes that he has.

_They don’t blame you._

_Be proud of it._

Magnus’ words fill his heart, and it’s then that for the first time in what feels like years, he smiles.

He smiles, shoulders shaking as a happy laugh billows out from his lungs. It’s broken and cracked from all the sobs, but no one looks to him in spite.

“Thank you,” he manages to let out to the crowd of people. “T-Thank you…thank you so much.”

As the emotions settle, soon the children, parents, and teachers make their way out of the church. Alec watches as they all leave, and he gives a gentle wave to Madzie as she and Iris file out the doors. He takes in a large breath as soon as the doors close behind them, shrouding the church in silence once again.

A featherlight touch ghosts against the palm of his hand, and Alec turns to see Magnus reaching out to him. His features are conflicted, uncertain of whether or not Alec will react negatively to what just happened now that the emotions have settled.

Alec turns to him, swiftly wrapping his arms around his boyfriend, burying his head into the crook of Magnus’ neck. He breathes in deeply, sandalwood flooding his lungs.

“ _Thank you,_ ” he breathes out. “ _Thank you so much, Magnus. I can’t thank you enough for this._ ”

Magnus’ hands rest against his shoulder blades, brushing up and down the wide expanse of his back gently. “ _I’m sorry I pushed,_ ” he apologizes. “ _But I couldn’t go on knowing that—”_

He’s cut off as Alec presses a kiss to Magnus’ lips, hands cradling his face as he sighs against him. He pulls back a moment later, glossy, red rimmed hazel eyes glancing back over him.

“ _Don’t apologize,_ ” he whispers. “ _Never apologize for this._ ” He leans back in, pressing another deep and meaningful kiss to Magnus’ lips.

“ _I love you._ ”

Alec’s words warm Magnus’ heart, filling him with a sense of contentment and belonging. He stares up into Alec’s eyes, and the world around them blurs over. His hands brush across Alec’s forearms.

“ _I love you too._ ”

And in that moment, the world feels right.

 

~~~~

 

With every ounce of light in the world, there has to be some darkness to counter it.

Alec is convinced of that fact as he walks into the precinct Monday morning. He heads straight down to the morgue, hoping that Izzy has made some strides towards identifying the bodies and the skeleton they found in Sebastian’s apartment.

“Alec!” His sister beams as he passes over the threshold of the morgue. She smiles widely, looking up from the open cadaver in front of her. Alec feels his stomach lurch and looks away.

“I don’t think I’ll ever understand how you don’t get squeamish over those things,” he groans.

Izzy looks back to the cadaver, folding the open skin back onto the ribcage then covering it with the white sheet. She takes a step back, taking off her gloves and appropriately tossing them into the waste bin. “It’s not that bad,” she quips. “And trust me, it’d be a lot messier if they weren’t dead.”

She laughs at Alec grimace.

“So what’s up?” She asks curiously, turning to him.

Alec shrugs. “Luke told me that you had some stuff to report?”

“Ah yes!” She exclaims, turning back towards the office. “While you were enjoying the weekend off, I was here keeping the stiffs company,” she starts. She appears in the doorway from the office with a couple of papers, handing them to Alec before she strides over to another examination table, taking the sheet off to show the skeleton they found in Sebastian’s apartment. “And I managed to find out a lot about Mr. Jack Skeleton here.”

Alec steps closer, looking at the arrangement of the bones. “Anything that can point us toward where Sebastian Verlac disappeared to?”

“About that,” Izzy states, crossing her arms. “There’s a reason why we can’t find him anywhere.”

“And why’s that?”

Izzy’s eyes focus on the skeleton. “Because,” she starts, gesturing to the skeleton, “He’s right here.”

Alec’s brows furrow as his gaze rises to Izzy. “You’re telling me that _this_ is Sebastian Verlac?”

Izzy shrugs. “Well, what’s left of him at least.”

He gives a pointed look. “Izzy, I’m serious.”

“So am I,” she says, nodding to the files she gave to Alec. “I pulled a few teeth and ran them through dental records, and it’s a hundred percent match to Sebastian Verlac’s.” Her brows crease together, looking back at Sebastian’s remains. “This is the captain of the guard we’ve been trying to find.”

Alec glances away from the files. “Did you determine how long he’s been dead? It has to be at least a month, right?”

Izzy crosses her arms and sighs. “The thing is, based on the degradation of the bones and the quality of the skeleton itself, this skeleton is over 5 months old.”

Alec’s eyes fall back to the skeleton, brows creasing together as he connects the information. He shakes his head lightly. “That can’t be right,” he starts, eyes trailing over the bones. “Izzy, that _can’t_ be right!” He meets her gaze once again. “Magnus said that Sebastian Verlac was Captain of the guard when he was in Edom. That was almost 3 months ago. He _couldn’t_ have been dead before that.”

Izzy walks over to the bench to put on some new blue latex gloves. “Let me show you something,” she states, walking back to the Sebastian’s skeleton on the table. Her careful fingers prod at the bones, moving a couple rib bones away from the spinal column. “Look here at his thoracic vertebra,” she instructs, pointing to the bones on the middle of the spinal column. “Do you see that?”

Alec places the files on an empty table before he steps closer to the skeleton, hovering over it to glance at where Izzy points. At the bones, he can see a series of scuff marks against the bone, all rather narrow with well-defined edges. He notices a similar series of marks on the rib bones placed closely to the specific vertebra. “Yeah, what about it?”

“These edges indicate sharp force, and based on what I could account for on the ribs, this was the point of entry, and it went all the way through his chest.” She points to the sternum and a few of the ribs. “See? They have the same marks on the front too.”

“So he was stabbed.”

Izzy nods, pulling back a bit. “Rather forcefully, I might add. It seems that whatever he was stabbed with was long and very sharp. Considering the angle and depth of the marks, I’d say he was stabbed at an upward angle very quickly.”

“Did you happen to find anything else?” He asks, leaning back. “Like these cracks here maybe?”

Izzy leans closer to examine the part of the skull Alec motions to but shakes her head. “No, it seems more like postmortem trauma. Most likely the conditions he was stored in, since the edges are more jagged and random. Considering how brittle the bone is, I’m not entirely surprised,” she states with a frown.

“So then COD is stabbing from what you’ve gathered?”

Izzy nods, taking off her gloves and disposing them properly. “Yeah. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find anything blood-stained at his apartment, which either means he wasn’t killed there or whoever did kill him did a good job of cleaning up.”

Alec’s brows furrow as he watches Izzy place the sheet over Sebastian. The gears in his head continue to turn. “Based on conditions of the skeleton, Sebastian Verlac has been dead for around 5 months, yet he was reported and recorded to be holding the position as Captain of the guard in Edom 3 months ago…” he trails, muttering to himself.

His eyes widen.

_No way._

“Izzy!” He calls out, head snapping up from his thoughts. “What if _Sebastian_ was the rogue guard?”

“Huh?”

“Think about it,” he says, taking a step towards her, picking up the files simultaneously. “Sebastian Verlac was dead before he assumed Captain of the guard based off of what you found here, and yet he was still reported to have served a position in Edom when Magnus was there. We established that because Asmodeus and Azazel both knew about Magnus’ stepfather, that a guard might’ve been the reason Camille was able to get that information in. If Sebastian really did die before Magnus served time in Edom, then—”

“Then someone could take his place and impersonate him,” Izzy finishes, eyes widening in realization. She turns quickly, her heels clicking as she rushes into her office space adjacent to the morgue. She opens the door, bright fluorescent light suddenly blinding Alec as they enter. Seemingly unaffected, Izzy rolls up to her desk in her chair, waking the computer up and typing in a few things.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m bringing up files in regards to Sebastian Verlac.”

Alec frowns. “But I thought we didn’t have jurisdiction to—”

“Luke called the Warden,” she interrupts, continuing to type and search results. “He was gracious enough to give us permissions to look into the guards, especially when Luke told him we found a skeleton in Sebastian’s closet.”

They stay silent for a couple minutes as Izzy works to bring up what Edom has about Sebastian Verlac. After a couple more clicks, a screen pops up. Both sets of Lightwood eyes focus on the screen.

“ _Holy shit_.”

Izzy’s voice is breathless as they survey the results of Edom’s guard and the most recent picture they have of Sebastian Verlac. Alec’s eyes wander across both results.

“They’re identical…” he trails, frown forming on his face.

Izzy shakes her head. “No, they aren’t. They just look like it.” She types a few more things, bringing the two photos up to a larger scale before transferring them to the second monitor. She zooms in. “It’s freaky how close they are, but look,” she directs, pointing to the screen. “The distance between Sebastian’s eyes are just a hair closer than the one on the left.” She clicks a few things before it overlays their faces with a grid-like profile. “See? It’s minute, but still there.”

Alec leans over the back of Izzy’s chair, surveying the results. “You’re right.” His eyes glance over at the other screen. “You said Sebastian was 5’11, didn’t you?”

Izzy nods.

“Look,” he says, pointing to the information on Edom’s file. “Edom’s report says there that he’s 6’2. Though growth spurts are a thing, he was at least in his late twenties, so that should have been a thing of the past.”

His sister nods wordlessly before she looks through a few more things in the files. “Based on old reports, social media posts, and witness statements, it seems that Sebastian was a generally nice man,” she states. “But in Edom’s reports, he seems overly brutal.” Her frown persists. “Personality wise, I’m amazed that someone didn’t call him out on it.”

“He’s the Captain of the guard,” Alec replies. “I don’t think anyone was brave enough to call him out on it.”

“Was,” Izzy corrects, “He _was_ the Captain of the guard.” She turns to look at Alec. “According to what the Warden said to Luke, this Sebastian Verlac retired from his position just after the New Year.”

“Well, that’s certainly convenient.”

“Very.”

Alec purses his lips. “So then we need to keep a look out for any activity concerning Sebastian Verlac.” He nods to the photo. “Have you run this by Luke?”

Izzy nods. “Yeah, I gave him the autopsy details, but this—” she says, gesturing to the monitor, “is new. So I’d suggest you go and give him this news, see if we can get an APB out on this fake ‘Sebastian’.” Alec nods, about to turn away to do just that, but Izzy speaks up again. “I also wanted to talk to you about our mole,” Izzy says, turning back in her office chair and minimizing the photos on her computer. She goes back into the mainframe and bringing up the autopsy system. “You remember what I told you before Magnus’ trial?”

Alec turns back to her and nods. “You said you had a handle on it.”

Izzy nods at the statement. “And I do. I basically stayed quiet about it to see if my files were indeed being changed. Ever since Magnus’ trial ended, I wondered if the mole would bother to show their face anymore.” She looks to Alec. “Because Magnus was proven to be a free man, they’d have no one to pin anything on.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ somewhere in here,” Alec trails.

Izzy points at him with a smile. “Right you are! Despite the fact that Magnus was proven innocent, my files are _still_ being changed.” She types a few things into her computer before pulling up another screen. “The downfall with our system, however, is that it doesn’t track the changes of who is working on the file,” she states. “And because the precinct uses the same IP, there’s not a real way to focus in on a specific computer.”

“What if they did it from home?”

“First off, you can’t log into the system outside the precinct. Secondly, if they did, I would’ve found them already,” she states, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. “But they specifically tamper files here so that they’re untraceable.”

“A smart move.”

“And a pain in my ass,” Izzy adds. “Regardless, the files are being changed in a way that the mark still isn’t showing up in the database.”

Alec’s brows furrow as he looks at the electronic entries. “So that means that our mole is working with Camille.”

“Exactly!” She clicks the mouse a couple of times. “This also means that if we find out who are mole is, we—”

“We have another lead on Camille,” Alec finishes, looking down at Izzy. A smile pulls at the corner of his lips, but it fades after a moment, shoulders slacking. “Please tell me you can find some way to track them down.”

The smile that pulls across Izzy’s face is one he remembers well from their childhood, specifically when she was up to no good. Suddenly he’s nervous.

“Oh god,” he groans. “What did you do?”

Izzy turns back to her computer, and with a few clicks of the mouse and some typing on the keyboard, suddenly the screen is layered in a form of code. Alec’s brows furrow as he leans closer. “What the hell is that?” he asks.

Izzy straightens up proudly. “This, my dear brother, is a code for a phishing site,” she states plainly, pointing to her monitor. “Basically, I’ve encrypted my files so that whoever opens them and changes the information, specifically anything in regards to that mark, will immediately appear up here. I’ll be able to tell which computer and ID the source links from and from that we’ll be able to figure out who the hell is changing my files.” She pauses for a moment. “Oh! I almost forgot, I’ll encrypt the files on Sebastian as well, just in case they try to cover anything up with his autopsy results too.”

Alec gapes at the computer. “There’s no way you pulled this off,” he says in shock. He looks back at Izzy, brows furrowing. “There’s no way you pulled this off.”

Izzy pouts, looking away with an innocent look on her face.

“ _Izzy_ ,” Alec says in a warning tone.

Izzy shrugs. “Okay, so I _might_ have gotten Simon’s help on it.”

“This is a computer with confidential information on it!” Alec guffaws. “You can’t bring someone unassociated with the case to do that!”

Izzy scoffs. “Look, if I hadn’t, there would’ve been no way to track them down.”

“Iz, we have to file reports on _how_ we found them. I have to explain to _the court_ how we found them!” He emphasizes. “What am I supposed to report? That a civilian came in and hacked the system?”

“Careful there Alec, your lawyer is showing.”

“I’m serious,” he says, folding his arms over his chest.

Izzy scoffs, rolling her eyes before she turns to the filing cabinet beside her desk. She thumbs through a couple folders before she plops a vanilla folder in front of Alec. “Fine. If you’re really so concerned about it, there.”

Alec picks up the file and opens it, viewing its contents.

“You’ll find a confidentiality agreement signed by Simon, as well as permissions from Luke to assist in this investigation.” She purses her lips, folding her arms across her chest once more. “Every legal document to show that Simon did this legally is there. Is your lawyer side happy now?”

Alec rolls his eyes, shaking his head at her tone. “I’m just making sure none of you get in trouble when the court trial comes around.”

“Uh huh, sure,” she says flatly. “Now that’s all the information I have right now, but I’ll call you down if I find anything new with the other five bodies we have from a couple weeks ago.” She smirks at him, waving him away. “Now get going. That information isn’t going to get to Luke itself.”

Alec chuckles, a smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. “Thanks, Izzy,” he states, turning from the office and walking towards the doorway of the morgue.

He’s almost out the door before a familiar thought crosses his mind. The thought had been popping up in his mind constantly, and he’s terrified of it. He sighs deeply before turning back towards Izzy.

Izzy seems to hear his footsteps stop, and she soon appears in the doorway of the office, her brows furrowed as concern floods her face. “Is there something wrong? I didn’t leave out a form or anything in the report, did I?”

Alec’s gaze falls to his feet. “No…” he trails off. “Your files are fine.” He swallows. “It’s uh…it’s about Magnus.”

Izzy walks over to him, the concern in her face not fading. “What’s wrong? Is Magnus okay?”

“Yeah, he’s—we’re fine. It’s just—” Alec stops himself, pressing his lips together. “Look, um…” He struggles to find the words as he looks back to Izzy. “In your experience, when’s the uh…you know…right time?” He mutters under his breath.

Izzy’s apprehensive look melts away the minute he utters the last two words. Her eyes glow as her wine-red lips stretch into a smile. “Oh my god, Alec,” she starts, excitement laced in her voice, “You’re talking about having _sex_?” She whispers out the last word with a snicker. Her grin falters slightly. “Wait, so you and Magnus haven’t…?” She trails off. Alec looks down just in time to see her teasingly indicate whatever vulgar actions she’s insinuating.

He slaps her hands away. “ _Izzy,_ ” he says warningly. He snaps his head around the corner of the hallway, making sure there aren’t any officers around. “Can you please try to refrain from spilling details about my sex life to the entirety of the Brooklyn precinct?”

Izzy pouts. “Oh c’mon, I didn’t say it _that_ loud.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t want to jinx it.” He frowns. “And I’m not asking about sex. We do enough of that anywa—you know what, I’m not going to finish that sentence,” he interrupts himself.

Izzy giggles and she receives a stern glare from Alec. She clears her throat and takes up a more serious tone. “So then, you and Magnus…want to…do what exactly?”

Alec sighs deeply before taking her arm lightly and dragging her over to a more secluded area of the room. “I want to talk to Magnus about…about moving in together,” he confesses quietly, tearing his gaze away from Izzy’s. His hands nervously pull at the collar of his shirt.

Izzy’s eyes go wide at the statement, her mouth forming into a silent ‘O’. “That’s—”

“Sorry,” Alec apologizes, stepping away from Izzy. “I know it’s stupid and it’s way too fast and—”

“Alec,” she interrupts, hand reaching out to still her brother’s retreating form. “I’m not saying it’s bad.” She smiles up at him endearingly, the pad of her thumb brushing against the skin of his elbow. “It’s just…I know it’s a big step.” Her dark eyes study his. “I just want to make sure you’re serious about this.” She blinks. “Are you?”

Alec nods slightly. “Yeah, I think so.” He knits his brows together a second later, shaking his head. “I don’t know.”

“Alec, look,” she starts, her hands falling to his and giving them a gentle squeeze, “You care about Magnus, and he cares about you. It’s okay.” She gives him a reassuring smile. “Just don’t do what you always do.”

He looks away from Izzy, a halfhearted smirk crossing his face. “Oh yeah, and what’s that?”

“Over think it. Like you’re doing now.”

Alec frowns, shaking his head. “No, no, I don’t over think things.” Izzy gives him a look and he sighs. “Fine, maybe I do over think things.” Alec sighs, running his hands across his face and itching the scruff growing under his jaw line. “I’m just…I’m just scared,” he confesses, hanging his head down. “We haven’t been dating for a long time, but I—but he’s—” he cuts himself off, looking away. “He’s _different_ , Iz. And I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.”

“Alec, if this is what you want, and if he makes you happy, then go for it.” She gives another encouraging smile. “You two are practically living together anyways, so I’m sure he’d say yes.”

Alec’s expression softens, shoulders slacking at her words. “ _Thanks, Iz._ ”

“No problem.”

 

~~~~

 

When Magnus had mentioned a party, Alec had imagined a small cluster of his friends going out to a local bar to catch up.

Needless to say, the combination of blaring music and blinding lights was the last thing he was expecting.

Despite the fact that this is a private party, and the entirety of Pandemonium has been shut down for the celebration, Alec still can’t help but feel suffocated. There are not many sources of light besides the colorful ones that flash across the dancefloor. He barely takes a step into the club and he can already tell how _crowded_ it is in here.

There’s people everywhere, from the bar to the dancefloor, hell even in the balcony area.

“You sure bringing me here was a good idea?”

He turns back towards Magnus, who is absolutely _glowing_ under the vibrant club lights. He’s dressed in probably the flashiest outfit Alec has seen yet. A crimson button up with dark pants with a white pattern across them paired with a long, dark coat with sequin embellishments on the lapels makes him stand out against the crowd. His hair is also styled lavishly, the tips styled straight up in a mohawk with the ends of his hair dusted with a light crimson to match the shirt. The entire ensemble—paired with his tactical use of accessories and layered necklaces—makes him look absolutely eye catching. His makeup is also fairly daring, dark and smoky enough to draw attention to the brilliance of his eyes. He looks around at all the people and shrugs.

“It was better than coming by myself,” he quips. He meets Alec’s eyes long enough to see a flicker of doubt cross his features. His smirk falters. “I’m joking,” he clarifies as his hands find Alec’s, intertwining their fingers. He gives a reassuring squeeze. “ _They’ll love you._ ”

He accompanies the statement with a soft kiss against Alec’s lips, and he can’t help but feel a little less out of place at Magnus’ words.

He’s guided further into the club, weaving through the mass of people who are lost in the heavy bass music that plays at deafening tones. It feels like a completely different world to him, seeing people so taken and enraptured by the blaring music and colorful lights. Despite the music, Alec notices everyone who dances does so with fluidity, their bodies moving swiftly with the music. It’s a stark contrast from when he came here months ago, with raunchy music and grinding bodies. There’s something in the air that feels different about tonight.

Alec’s gaze tears away from the dancefloor as Magnus leads them up the stairs. They turn immediately to the balcony, and he’s led over to the second bar in the club. It’s far less crowded than the one on the main floor, and Alec is a bit grateful for the less-crowded space.

“Well if it isn’t the man himself!”

Magnus turns to see a dark-skinned woman who appears to be Magnus’ age strolling towards them. Her dark hair is done up in a half-bun, and she wears a patterned dress that cuts off at the knee, paired well with a simple necklace and matching heels. Magnus’ face lights up as he meets her in the middle.

“My dear Catarina,” he coos, smile creasing the corners of his eyes as he brings her in for a meaningful hug. Alec can tell the hug is full of mirth and joy. He pulls back a minute later. “How are you my darling?”

She smiles warmly at him. “I’m well,” she starts, “Though I’ll admit getting away from the hospital once in a while is a nice thing.”

Magnus chuckles at that and peers over her shoulder. “What about the others? Are they here?”

Catarina looks behind her. “Ragnor is tucked away somewhere talking politics with Raphael, and Maia’s with her date currently, so they might be down on the dance floor.”

Magnus gives a look of surprise. “Date? Since when?”

Catarina shrugs, taking a sip of her cocktail. “You and I both know she’s never been one to rub a relationship in our faces. But speaking of _dates_ ,” she emphasizes, her eyes training back on Magnus, “Someone tells me you’re not alone tonight.”

Magnus turns back to look at Alec who wears a surprised blush. “You’ve been told correctly. Alexander, this is Catarina Loss, Manhattan’s greatest nurse.”

Alec goes to shake her hand, introduction ready on his tongue. But the second he meets her dark eyes, he blinks in surprise.

“Oh, it’s you!”

Catarina seems to wear the same surprised look, only for it to be replaced with a humorous smirk moments later. “Well isn’t this ironic?”

Magnus looks between them, confusion flooding his features. “Am…Am I missing something?”

Catarina huffs out a laugh. “It’s been a few years, but I’ve met Mr. Lightwood before,” she states. “I knew I recognized that face somewhere besides the court.”

Alec chuckles at that, hand coming up to brush the back of his neck. He looks over to Magnus, who is still begging for some sort of explanation. “Back when I worked with my parents in the Manhattan precinct, there were times we visited the hospital to ask questions to the staff and get statements from the victims.” He looks back to Catarina. “At that time, I was very devoted to the job, and I think you lost patience with me.”

She laughs, patting his shoulder. “Oh Magnus, you should have seen it! I had to practically throw him out of the room when the doctors came in or when visiting hours were over.” She shakes her head at the memory. “You made for a lot of interesting stories, Mr. Lightwood.”

Magnus’ wide eyed look remains. “So wait,” he interrupts, cogs in his head turning. “All those stories you told me about the cop who wouldn’t leave that poor man alone were about Alexander?” He asks in disbelief. When they both nod, he laughs. It’s light-hearted and warm and honestly, he can’t _believe_ these two have already met on the worst of terms.

When his laughter subsides, he looks to Catarina with a smile. “I guess your initial plan of interrogating my boyfriend isn’t going to work out.”

Alec gives a flustered, yet slightly confused look while Catarina just laughs. “I guess not,” she agrees. “After all, he already knows I can kick his ass any day.”

Alec stiffens at that, recalling the memory of how he was practically thrown out of the hospital by her. He tugs at the collar of his dress shirt in nervousness.

“Between the both of us, it seems that he knows what will happen if he steps out of line,” Ragnor adds, stepping forward. Catarina gives him a side hug.

Magnus chuckles at his friends before turning back to Alec, hand wrapping around his. “Perhaps you accused the wrong man, Alexander,” he jokes, gesturing to Catarina and Ragnor. “Those two could commit a murder without a bat of an eyelash.”

Alec chuckles at that, though Magnus can tell it’s a bit forced.  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Magnus pulls him down slightly, closing the few-inch gap to press a chaste kiss to his lips. He can hear Catarina let out a barely-audible _ooooh_ against the club music.

He separates a moment later, turning back to his friends who give a smug—yet endearing—look. He gives one back, focusing on Ragnor. “I’m surprised,” Magnus quips, “You usually aren’t one for a party scene.”

Ragnor shrugs. “Normally, no. But anytime I can come and tell embarrassing stories about you is guaranteed to be a good time.”

“Seems like you have a lot of those,” Alec perks up, curiosity lacing his voice.

“No. _No_ ,” Magnus emphasizes, eyes going wide as he points between his friends and Alec. “You are _not_ telling him those stories, you demons!” He exclaims at his friends. “I am far too sober to listen to those again. C’mon, Alexander, let’s get some drinks,” he says, pulling Alec towards the bar.

“Nice to see you again!” Alec shouts back at Catarina and Ragnor, who wave back before resorting to laughter at Magnus’ antics.

Magnus practically shoves him into the bar before waving down the bartender and orders a shot of tequila for the both of them. He sighs. “I can’t believe them,” he mutters.

Alec chuckles, sitting at one of the barstools and wrapping an arm casually around Magnus’ waist. He smiles up brightly at Magnus, the low blue lighting from the bar tracing his features. “They love you,” he says, eyes trailing from Magnus’ lips to his eyes. “Teasing is just their way of showing it. And trust me, I know. Siblings do it all the time.”

Magnus smiles at that, and before he can retort, the bartender places their tequila shots in front of them. “Ever had a shot like this?”

Alec gives a look. “Magnus, I’m 30, not 21,” he quips. “Of course I’ve had tequila.”

Magnus hums at that, and they take the shot glasses in hand. “To us,” he says, clinking their glasses together.

“To us,” Alec agrees. “And to being free.”

With that, they simultaneously tilt their heads back, downing the shot of tequila. The second the liquid passes their throats, they slam the glasses back down, going for the lime wedges to ease the burn of the alcohol. The lime is horrendously sweet against Alec’s taste buds, and it makes his toes curl a bit at the sensation.

Magnus lets out a large sigh of appreciation as the shot courses through his body. “ _Oh man_ ,” he breathes out. “I forgot how much tequila burns.”

A chuckle rumbles through Alec’s chest at the words, nodding. “Yeah, that’s why you usually lick salt to—” He cuts off his sentence as his eyes focus on something over Magnus’ shoulder. “There’s no way…” he mutters under his breath, rising from the stool.

“Clary?”

The bright ringlet curls of red sway as Alec says the name, and a minute later, Alec is face to face with Clary Fairchild. Her eyes are lined with dark liner and glitter, green eyes vibrant against the pink-red lights that flare in the club. She wears a cocktail dress that features a variety of patterns that is snug around the bust then flows out to her mid-thighs. It’s also accompanied by a few choker necklaces and some dainty heels. Her lips part in surprise.

“A-Alec!” She exclaims. “I…didn’t expect you to be here. It’s a private party and—” She catches a glance to Magnus behind Alec’s shoulder. “Oh…Magnus, hi.”

Magnus gives a curt nod, and a stiff tension settles over them.

Alec breaks it a moment later. “Do you two know each other?” He asks, pointing between them.

Clary shakes her head. “Apart from the case files, no. But I wasn’t invited by Magnus, I’m just—”

“Hey, they didn’t have any plain Moscato, but they did have sangria so—” Another voice interrupts them, and Alec is surprised to see Maia standing with two glasses of sangria in her hand. She wears a dark red top and a black leather skirt, balanced with a striking necklace around her neck. Maia’s eyes flit to Magnus first. “Magnus! You’re here!”

“It’s my party, after all,” he replies with a smile, stepping forward to give her a hug. “I thought you were with your date. Catarina mentioned you brought someone.”

Maia opens her mouth to retort, but closes it soon after, handing the sangria to Clary. “Well…I am, actually.”

It doesn’t take long for Alec to pick up on it. “Wait…what about Jace?” He asks. “I thought you two were…”

Clary shrugs. “Well...we _tried_ ,” she starts. “But he told me he wasn’t ready for a relationship right now. And with him taking the case in Jersey, we both agreed it would be easier to just be friends.” She quirks a brow. “If you called him like I told you to last month, he would’ve told you that.”

Alec feels the wave of guilt flood over him as they stand there a bit silently. It isn’t like he and Clary are on the worst of terms, it’s just they never really hung out outside of work. And now that Alec works mainly from the precinct until this case closes…

“Well we’ll let you two enjoy your evening,” Magnus starts, seemingly unaffected by the tension in the air. He smiles warmly at them. “I’ve heard the sangria is strong too, so be careful.” He turns back to Alec, taking his hand and leading him down from the balcony.

Alec barely has time to register where they’re going until Magnus leads him towards the mass of people on the dancefloor. Before he can set foot on it though, he stops Magnus. “Wait, Magnus, where are we going?”

Magnus turns. “To the dancefloor.” A small smile pulls at his lips as his fingers find the waist of his shirt. “Dance with me.”

Alec’s eyes widen at his request. He shakes his head lightly. “Magnus, you _don’t_ want to dance with me. I can’t dance.”

“Bullshit,” Magnus pouts back, pulling Alec’s hand forward towards the floor again. “Isabelle says otherwise.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “W-Wait, how did you get in contact with Izzy?”

Magnus bites his lip on a smile. “She may have given me her number while I was at the precinct getting interrogated for my sealed files.” He shrugs. “She just happened to mention one day how you two used to dance when you were younger.”

Alec lets out an aggravated sigh, rolling his eyes. “She was always too forceful about it. I was just a good brother, so I danced in obligation.”

The statement makes Magnus chuckle, his chest rumbles softly. “Well I’ve been told I’m a bit stubborn,” he starts, putting more force into his actions as he pulls Alec onto the floor. They fall into the middle of the floor, right under the disco ball and Magnus turns to him with a smile. It’s then when the heavy bass music fades out.

“Alright folks, we’re gonna slow it down for one song before we pick things back up,” the DJ says into the mic from the sound booth. They put the song on, and it starts out slowly, guitar strumming softly with a gentle drum beat to accompany it.

Magnus steps forward, taking Alec’s left hand in his right while he places the other on his shoulder. Alec’s hand rests on his waist. As the vocals kick in, they sway back and forth together, turning in small circles as the music plays.

“I’m sorry, what was that about ‘I can’t dance’?” Magnus questions as they turn, eyes full of mirth. “Looks like you know how to dance just fine.”

Alec smirks at that, shaking his head. A second later, he mouths with the words. “ _I’d do anything with you anywhere. Yes, you’ve got me in the palm of your hand, ‘cause I don’t dance._ ”

Magnus chuckles at that, only for Alec to step away and twirl him before coming back together. Magnus laughs, head thrown back as they continue to slow dance.

It’s fun and carefree, and for once, neither of them are worried about case details or murders or Camille. It’s a moment that Alec can confidently say he’s never experienced before. The lights have changed from blue and pinks to warm yellows, and they shine against Magnus’ form like the sun.

It’s brilliantly breathtaking.

As Alec spins Magnus again, he laughs along with Magnus, breathing in the sandalwood scent that lingers with his boyfriend’s proximity. He leans forward as the song slows down again, ducking down his head to press a gentle kiss to Magnus’ lips. They exchange a few lighthearted kisses before the music fades completely.

The people around them cheer, and he isn’t quite sure if it’s at them or towards the music. But in that moment, he feels the warmth settle in his stomach as he watches Magnus’ smile plaster itself across his features.

The music picks back up after the song fades out, and strangely, Alec doesn’t step away. Both of his hands find Magnus’ hips, latching around the waist of his patterned pants. As the beat kicks in, Magnus’ hips move, swiveling side to side. His movements are fluid, swift and intoxicating in the best way.

He moves closer to Alec, dark eyes swimming with an emotion Alec can’t quite place. His hands curl around the back of Alec’s neck, pulling gently at the long strands there. Alec resists a groan as Magnus’ deft hands move from his neck down to his chest, touch like fire as he drifts across the planes of Alec’s pecs.

Alec has to resist a groan at his actions, especially when Magnus steps even closer, close enough so that his hips drag across Alec’s as he body rolls. His fingers tremble, grip increasing slightly at the action.

Magnus’ gaze rises from his neck to Alec’s eyes, and he pulls forward, resting his sweaty forehead against Alec’s. The beat of the music encourages Magnus’ movements against him, and it leaves Alec breathless. He doesn’t grind or move in a way that indicates desperation. It’s not raunchy or meaningless. Instead, his movements are calculated yet fluid, each movement paired with a meaning that screams intimacy.

For a moment, Alec forgets that they’re surrounded by people.

Magnus’ breath is hot against his, and the beat pounds in his ears. He’s so enraptured by Magnus, by the way he moves to the music, and by the way he’s affected by Alec’s responsiveness. He leans forward once again, dragging his hips so Alec can feel the languid motion of his hips against his. He stutters a groan, hands falling from their position at his waist down to the curve of Magnus’ ass, then back up.

“ _Take me home_ ,” Magnus pants out hotly in his ear. The statement goes right through Alec, nerves igniting like he’s been set on fire. He does another roll against Alec, paired with a breathy _please_ and that’s it.

They’re out of the club before Alec can really process it, hailing a cab back to Magnus’ house. In any other moment, Alec may have been concerned that Magnus didn’t say goodbye to _anyone_ , but right now the only thing that runs through his mind is Magnus’ hands on him, Magnus’ breath in his ear, Magnus’ dark lustful eyes. Just _Magnus, Magnus, Magnus._

For what feels like an eternity of traffic and Magnus whispering dirty things into his ears, they finally pull up to Magnus’ place. They pay the cabby and shuffle to the front door. Magnus fumbles for his keys as he turns to open the door, and soon they stumble into the living room.

They’re giddy and giggling, still riding the high of the emotions they felt at the party.

Nothing can stop them, not now.

 As soon as the front door closes and locks again, Alec tugs at Magnus’ jacket lapels, pulling him into a surging, heated kiss. There’s a muffled tone of surprise from Magnus, but the minute Alec moves his lips against Magnus’, the surprise is gone and Magnus melts into the kiss. Though it starts out chaste, the kiss quickly catches fire as Alec brushes his tongue against Magnus’ bottom lip.

Magnus gasps, allowing Alec to dive in further, reveling in the taste of alcohol and what can only be Magnus. He pulls back briefly, noticing the flushed look Magnus wears before he starts placing open-mouthed kisses on the underside of Magnus’ jaw. Magnus’ hands clench against his shirt as he gasps at the newfound sensation.

“ _Alexander_ ,” Magnus gasps quietly and _oh,_ Alec certainly enjoys that. He trails his kisses down to his collarbone, unbuttoning the shirt as he goes before nipping slightly at the skin there. Magnus lets out a choked sound as his hands wind into Alec’s dark hair. “ _Alexander, please_ ,” he pleads, “ _don’t tease me_.”

Alec smirks against his skin. “After all the teasing you’ve done to me, I’m just repaying the favor.”

Magnus chuckles, bringing Alec back up to kiss him full on the lips again. Magnus’ hands find the fabric of Alec’s button up and he grips it tightly, breaking off the kiss to lead Alec further into his home. They stumble down the hallway, giggling softly as Magnus fumbles to find the doorknob behind him. He eventually opens the door and they push into the dark room, which is only illuminated with the light of the moon shining through the window.

“ _God, I want you so badly_ ,” Magnus breathes, his hands travelling from Alec’s collarbone, down his chest and to the belt loops of his pants. He tugs Alec forward, just enough to where Alec can feel that he is just as excited as he is. Alec moans out.

“Fuck _, Magnus_ ,” Alec groans. “ _I want you too_.”

When Magnus pulls Alec in for another kiss, their movements become more desperate. They both want this, they both feel this. Nothing can stop their moment, not now.

Alec’s hands trail down from Magnus’ waist, over his ass—which pulls a pleasurable groan from Magnus—down to the underside of his thighs. Without a second thought, Alec tugs him up, holding him so that their crotches press together. They both moan as Magnus locks his ankles around Alec’s waist. His fingers stay laced around the back of Alec’s neck.

“ _I swear to god, Alexander_ ,” Magnus groans out, “ _if you don’t fuck me_ —”

Magnus doesn’t finish the thought as Alec turns, pressing Magnus to the wall. He ruts up against Magnus’ hips impatiently as they both groan again. Magnus works efficiently to tug the dress shirt off his body, all the while muttering silent curses at _those damn buttons_ , though Alec has to temporarily put Magnus down in order to completely rid of his shirt.

His eyes take in the sight of Alec, who—though he has seen him shirtless a multitude of times—still wears a look as if he’s only seeing him for the first time. Each time takes his breath away with the same gusto it did the first time. Impatient, Magnus fumbles with the rest of the buttons of his own shirt, and—after a minute of no success—pulls at the fabric, buttons popping from their confines. He throws the shirt and his jacket over on the floor with the other discarded items of clothing.

 Now shirtless Magnus is something Alec has also seen quite often, and yet here he is, drinking in every detail, dip, and curve that Magnus’ body has to offer. Alec’s eyes can’t help but roam across his pectorals, past those perky, dark nipples and down to the abs that always make Alec lose his breath. He bites his lip as his eyes catch the dark hair that starts just below Magnus’ belly button and snake down to the waistline of his pants. Alec groans inwardly. Seeing Magnus shirtless is _always_ worth the wait if you asked him.

He surges forward, claiming another kiss as his hands move to the belt of Magnus’ pants. He’s quick to rid of it, and almost quicker to rid Magnus of his pants in general. It’s here that he realizes Magnus didn’t even bother to put on underwear. He groans in want.

“ _I’m going to blow you_ ,” Alec states, falling to his knees. He meant to phrase it as a question, but at this point, Alec is tired of waiting.

Magnus moans at Alec’s forwardness. “ _Please_ ,” he breathes out, hands winding into his hair as Alec presses kisses to each of Magnus’ thighs. Alec takes his cock in his hand and glides over it a couple of times, eliciting another crackling moan from Magnus. Satisfied with his teasing, he captures his lips around the head, swirling his tongue around it gently before pressing against the slit.

Magnus’ legs shake at the sensation as he moans loudly. His grip on Alec’s hair tightens, causing Alec to continue his ministrations. He takes Magnus in further until he feels the head of his cock graze the back of his throat. He moans at the sensation of being so full of Magnus. Magnus is equally as stimulated, and practically cries out the minute Alec starts bobbing his head up and down. Alec’s brilliant hazel eyes meet Magnus’ through his dark lashes and Magnus almost loses it right there.

“ _A-Alec, oh my God_ …” Magnus pants as Alec goes to deep throat him again. His breathing is labored and he can feel the all too familiar feeling of release building in his abdomen. “ _I don’t want to cum yet, Alec, please_ …” Magnus is straight up pleading at this point, and it turns Alec on to no end. With one last bob, Alec pulls off of Magnus with a loud pop. A trail of saliva connects from the tip of Magnus’ cock to Alec’s bottom lip, and it’s the hottest thing Magnus has ever seen.

“ _What do you want from me, Magnus_?” Alec asks, his voice absolutely wrecked. Magnus pants, unable to control his breathing. He’s flushed and his pupils are blown wide. Alec looks at him quizzically. “ _Well? I can’t read minds, darling_.”

Hearing Alec use his pet name on him sends a pleasurable shiver up his spine. “ _Fuck me_ ,” he pleads, throwing his head back when Alec’s hands roam across his thighs, “fuck me to the point where I won’t be able to do anything except scream your name. I want to feel it tomorrow morning and let it be known to anyone who walks through that goddamn door how much you can wreck me.”

The blunt nature of his statement has Alec moaning. He stands back up fully as Magnus fumbles to unbutton his jeans. He slides both Alec’s jeans and his underwear down his legs and Alec shimmies out of them, kicking them into the pile of clothes they’ve made on the floor. They’re both hard and leaking, and both incredibly horny.

“Lube?” Alec asks simply.

Magnus darts his tongue out across his lips. “Bedside drawer. Condoms are there too.”

Alec turns away briefly to grab the lube and condoms. When he turns back around, Magnus has his back turned to Alec, forearms resting on the wall surface. Alec moans at the sight as he presses against Magnus’ back. Magnus chokes out a sob as Alec coats his fingers with lube, teasing a gentle finger against his entrance.

“ _You’re absolutely filthy_ ,” Alec whispers in his ear as he slips his finger into Magnus. Magnus bites his lip and whines. “ _Presenting yourself to me like that, you’re just begging me to fuck you_.”

Alec presses another finger into him and Magnus moans sinfully loud. “ _Y-Yes_ ,” he stutters, “Make me yours, fuck me, Alec. _God please_ ,” he pleads quietly as Alec scissors him open. He adds a third finger and starts crooning his fingers until the finds the bundle of nerves that causes Magnus to cry out in pleasure.

“God, _Alec_ —!”

It’s all the incentive Alec needs to roll the condom onto his cock and press the tip against Magnus’ hole.

“W-Wait—”

Alec stops as Magnus turns toward Alec, his eyes blown wide with want. “W-What is it?” Alec pants out.

“I want you to hold me up and fuck me.”

_Well._

He didn’t have to be told twice. Just as swiftly as he did the first time, Alec lifts Magnus up so that Magnus sits right on top of Alec’s cock. Magnus wraps his legs around Alec’s waist. There’s barely an inch between them as Alex guides the tip in and past the first ring of muscle. They both moan in unison, lost in the pleasure. Alec glides in gently, and it’s not long until he bottoms out.

Magnus groans at how full he feels with Alec’s thick cock pulsing inside him. “ _M-Move, Alec_ ,” he pants.

Alec nods before pulling back and then snapping his hips back into Magnus. Magnus groans in approval, all the while silently begging _more_ and _harder_. He moans Alec’s name like a mantra as he slams into Magnus. After a few thrusts, Alec manages to hit the bundle of nerves again, causing Magnus to scream out in pleasure.

“ _Ohfuck_ — God Alec, right there, right _AH—_!” He throws his head back as Alec continuously hits his sweet spot over and over.

Alec leans in and presses opened mouth kisses to Magnus’ neck as he continues to pound into Magnus. Close, he bites down on the junction between Magnus’ neck and shoulder as he thrusts against his prostate. Magnus shudders at the combined sensations, cum spurting out in his fierce climax. The ring of muscles around Alec’s cock contract, becoming a tighter, warmer sensation that pushes Alec over the edge soon after. With a couple softer thrusts, Alec leans the both of them against the wall and pulls out of Magnus, who groans at the loss.

He’s guided to the bed before his legs give way. Alec lies beside him, equally as spent. “That was probably one of the best orgasms I’ve had in quite a while.”

Alec chuckles. “Glad to be of service to you.”

Magnus lets out a breathy laugh at his reply as his eyes rake down Alec’s debauched body. He bites his lip as his eyes fall to Alec’s chest, hands reaching out to absentmindedly thread through the silken strands of hair there.

“ _I love you,_ ” he confesses in a whisper, fingertips shaking slightly against Alec’s skin. “ _Never in my life did I think I could be with someone the way I am with you. I had always been convinced that love would never find me, that I was never worthy. But here you are…”_ he trails, dark eyes trailing up to roam over Alec’s face. “ _Half of it still feels like a dream._ ”

Alec’s hands find his, fingers curling around his and giving a gentle, warm squeeze.

“ _I promise you, it’s not,_ ” he replies just as quietly, voice still rough from sex. “ _I’ve always dreamed of being with someone like you, and I don’t regret meeting you for a second. I love you, Magnus Bane,_ ” he whispers, leaning forward to press a chaste kiss to his boyfriend’s lips. “ _I love you to the moon and back._ ”

Magnus smiles at his words, nuzzling his face into Alec’s neck, taking in the scent of sweat, sex, and what can only be described as Alec. He hums appreciatively before the silence settles around them again.

Within minutes, the both of them are taken by the gentle lulls of sleep.

 

~~~~

 

The morning after is just as blissful.

They wake up with the sun dancing across their skin and the birds chirping outside the windows. They can feel the heat of their naked bodies pressed together under the satin sheets, and it fights away the cold air of the January morning. It’s silent around them, silent enough for their steady breathing to be heard. As Magnus’ eyes flutter open, wishing Alec a good morning, Alec presses forward to give a chaste kiss to his lips.

Magnus smiles and hums in the kiss, hands weaving through Alec’s dark hair. He pulls Alec over him, and they get lost in each other once again, reveling in the warmth of their skin against the cool of the morning.

After spending far too long in bed and equally as long in the shower, they both find themselves in the kitchen. Alec stands over the stove, mixing around the hash that he and Magnus prepared. Magnus leans against the counter watching him cook with a coffee cup in hand, sipping silently at the liquid.

“ _Alright,_ ” Alec drawls, eyes focused on mixing the hash around. He places down the wooden spoon for it before checking on the eggs frying in the pan. “What are you thinking about?”

“Who said I’m thinking about anything?” He asks with a shrug of his shoulders, silently taking another sip of his coffee.

Alec turns off the stove for the hash and switches to flip the eggs over just as Magnus had taught him to before. He gets one perfectly but fumbles with the other one. _That one will just have to be his_.

“You’re too quiet,” he points out. “And you’ve got that furrowed brow again.”

Magnus pouts, his other hand coming up to rub at the space between his brows. “Are you saying I can’t enjoy a quiet morning watching my boyfriend flip eggs and look like a runway model?”

Alec huffs out a laugh and places the lid back on the pan before turning back to Magnus, wiping his hands against the dish towel nearby. “ _Magnus,_ ” he warns, taking steps closer to Magnus to pin him between himself and the counter. “I’m a cop, darling. You know I won’t let it go easily.”

Magnus smiles at that, leaning away to place his coffee on the counter. He turns back to trace his fingers against Alec’s face, which are warm from the coffee he’s been holding. He swipes his thumb gently across the planes of Alec’s cheeks, eyes searching over his features. His thumb lowers, brushing over Alec’s bottom lip gently. His smile falters slightly, vulnerability and hesitance flooding his features.

“ _Move in with me_.”

Alec’s eyes widen at his statement, and Magnus instantly caves in on himself, perhaps thinking that what he said was wrong. He can practically hear Magnus’ thoughts about how he _shouldn’t have said that_ , and Alec wordlessly takes his face in his hands.

Those dark sphere’s meet his.

“ _Yes_ ,” he replies. “ _If you want me to, I will._ ”

Magnus’ eyes are wide with surprise for a moment, and a second later, he surges forward, taking Alec’s lips in a surging kiss full of feeling. The kisses are rushed, but meaningful, and it has Alec’s heart doing somersaults.

“ _Magnhhh—_ ” Alec tries to form words in between kisses. “ _The eggs—_ ” Another kiss. “The eggs are gonna—” Magnus swipes his tongue across Alec’s bottom lip and he groans. “—are gonna burn.” He chuckles as Magnus tries to press another kiss to his lips. He draws away however, earning a whine from Magnus before he turns to turn off the heat from the stove. He can practically feel Magnus sulking as he prepares the plates of their breakfast. They sit down at the bar and eat, and as Alec takes a bite of the hash, he can feel Magnus’ eyes on him.

“You’ll really move in with me?” Magnus asks curiously, that trace of vulnerability wavering in his voice.

Alec nods, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I will,” he affirms with a smile. “To be honest…I was going to bring it up, moving in together. But I didn’t know if you wanted—”

“Of course I want this,” Magnus says, hand reaching across the counter to brush against Alec’s. The ring on his finger shines in the morning sunlight. “ _There’s nothing more I want than to be with you._ ”

Alec smiles at that, squeezing their joined hands slightly. His smile falters. “I have to go in for an hour or so for patrols today, but after that I’ll go and collect the rest of my things from the apartment and then I’ll be back home, okay?”

Alec’s eyes meet Magnus’ and both of them share a warm look.

_Home._

It sounds so right.

“ _Okay,_ ” Magnus says with a nod before turning his attention back to their breakfast. He’s about to stab his fork into the eggs when Alec’s ears catch it.

 _Beeping_.

His brows furrow as he rises from bar, circling around towards the informal dining room area. Magnus’ turns, watching him carefully.

“Alexander?”

He doesn’t say a word as he peers out to look out the French doors to the backyard, eyes scanning the yard. He listens again.

_Silence._

He tears his eyes away from the glass windows of the doors. “Magnus—”

He can barely get a word out before the entire kitchen blows with a loud bang.

 

~~~~

 

Silence.

That’s all he can hear as his eyes blink open. His vision goes in and out, blurring and refocusing inconsistently. The morning light has been extinguished, replaced with the dark billowing smoke surrounding him. His lungs burn and he feels like he’s been slammed against a wall. He shakes, forcing his body up from where it lies on the floor.

_What the hell happened?_

He looks up, surveying his surroundings. The entire dining area is thick with smoke, and he can see the aftermath of bright orange flames flickering against the walls, the ceiling, everything. Pieces of wood have broken apart from what he assumes was the table, fractured and splintered everywhere. There’s a strange feeling sliding down his cheeks and he places a hand to his aching temple. He takes the hand away a second later.

_Blood._

His mind tries to focus on what happened. What was he just doing? He was having breakfast, eating. There was someone he was talking to…talking to—

His eyes go wide.

_Magnus._

Where is Magnus?

“Magnus!” Alec yells out, though his voice is hoarse and strains against the thick smoke in the air. It burns against his eyes, and he forces his body to move, army crawling across the floor of the kitchen.

He gets to the other side of the island before he finds Magnus lying with his back facing him. He lies towards the lower cupboards, and he doesn’t appear to be moving. Alec’s actions grow desperate, hurriedly moving over to Magnus.

“Magnus! Magnus!!” Alec strains out, turning Magnus’ body so that his back is against the floor. His eyes are shut and there’s dirt and blood on his face. Alec presses his head to Magnus’ chest.

_A heartbeat._

There’s a sigh of relief stuck in his lungs as his hands fumble across Magnus’ skin. He shakes Magnus again, letting out strangled cries of his name, and there’s a minute between the heartbeat he heard and his shaking that Magnus’ brows crease together. He groans brokenly a second later.

“Magnus!” Alec repeats again, helping him sit up. “Careful, you’re hurt.”

Magnus struggles as he sits up, letting out a pained gasp as he presses a hand to his sore body. He almost yelps in pain as he turns, suppressing it as a whimper as he bites his lip.

Alec glances down to his torso. “You’ve probably bruised some ribs,” he states. “You aren’t bleeding too badly so—”

“Alec,” Magnus interrupts. “What the hell happened?”

Alec looks up, back to the dining area to see that some of the smoke has cleared. The table has—sure enough—been blown to smithereens and its pieces lie everywhere. Some shards had so much velocity that they stick into the wall. There are flames raging angrily from the floor and up the wall. There’s even some on the ceiling.

“A bomb…” Alec trails. “Someone planted a bomb in our house.”

The words carry a weight too heavy for them to fully process. Alec turns back to Magnus. “Can you stand?”

There’s a hesitance in his expression before he nods, and Alec helps as he maneuvers to stand. He lets out some broken yelps of pain, eyes watering at the smoke still present in the air.

“We need to call an ambulance, get Luke over here and—”

The window shatters before Alec can say anything else, and it’s followed by a series of gunshots. Both of them fall to the floor, taking the island as cover. Alec pulls Magnus close, Magnus practically curling against him. “Magnus,” he shudders out. “My gun, it’s on the dresser in the bedroom,” he states. Another series of shots fires out. “Stay here.”

“But—!”

“Don’t move,” he says, parting from Magnus’ grasp. “Don’t move until I come back.”

Magnus’ eyes are full of fear, glazed with tears threatening to spill over. He nods and Alec bolts down the hall in between waves of bullets. His actions are hurried as he grabs his gun from the dresser, his hands shaking as he turns off the safety and cocks the gun.

He’s almost back into the main area when Magnus screams.

He practically leaps back out, enough to see Magnus hasn’t moved and cowers like a terrified child. He drops down, sliding back to the island as another wave hits. “Magnus! Magnus, go to the apothecary and hide. Shut the door and don’t let anyone in. There shouldn’t be as much smoke in there. Hide and call for the police.”

“W-What are you going to—?”

“I can’t let them get away, Magnus,” Alec interrupts. He pants as the wave dies out for a moment. “GO! NOW!” He yells, pushing Magnus towards the hall.

Magnus turns to him, pressing a hurried kiss to Alec’s lips. “ _Be careful_ ,” he whispers before turning back to run towards the apothecary.

When he disappears down the hall, the next wave of bullets fires. He can hear the plates of glass shattering as well as some of the china from their breakfast. He struggles to breathe against the smoke, but as the bullets die out, he pops up from the island, firing a few warning shots.

He ducks back behind the counter, waiting a minute.

Two.

After three minutes of no shots, Alec stands from the counter. He pads along the kitchen floor slowly, careful not to step on any splintered wood or broken glass. It’s not all that successful, as he winces whenever he steps on a stray piece.

The French doors to the backyard are broken and one is blown open, letting the smoke from the explosion earlier waft out of the house. He peeks his head out, eyes wincing at the sudden brightness of the light.

_BANG!_

Alec ducks, somersaulting so that he jumps off the patio and into the bushes. He pops up just in time to see a shadowy figure disappear into the wooded area behind Magnus’ home. Alec emerges from the bushes, running in the same direction.

_He can’t let them get away with this._

He runs after them as the figure dashes through the wooded area. They duck left, towards the fence Alec _knows_ is there. They scale the fence easily, and far too quickly than Alec prefers, but he’s right behind them, putting the safety on his gun and tucking it in his pants as he scales the fence. He runs down the alleyway despite the searing pain in his bare feet from the glass earlier, running after the perpetrator as fast as his legs can take him.

He turns the corner of the alley only for a loud crack to sound.

Next thing he knows, he’s on the ground, face-down and disoriented. The world spins, and his senses mix together. His vision blurs briefly, but he can’t stay on the ground forever. He was chasing someone, he has to—

He looks up just in time to see the figure run from his view. He scrambles to get up.

 “A-Ah!” He yells out in agony as pain rips through his body. _Dear god_ it hurts so badly, like he’s been—

 _Oh_.

He’s been shot.

Alec tries not to panic as the blood soaks his shirt from the wound. His hands instinctively go to the wound, knowing full well that he has to apply pressure to it. He muffles a pained scream as his hands close over the wound and he turns over so that his back is to the pavement. His breathing is labored and uneven, and there’s an inexplicable pain, heat searing from the wound blooming on his left side.

He isn’t sure how long he’s been there, but he can tell that he’s losing blood far too fast for his liking.

Fuck.

 _He doesn’t want to die_.

There’s suddenly a shadow that falls over his face, blocking the blinding rays of the mid-morning sun from his view. There’s a bit of pressure on his hands and blathering that he can’t quite make out. It sounds like someone trying to talk through water. Alec’s brows furrow together.

“ _Mn—Magnhhh_ —” he groans out.

“ _Alexander_ ,” Magnus coos, hands pressing to Alec’s face. “I need you to stay awake, baby,” he says, his voice wavering in nervousness. “C’mon, stay with me, okay? Don’t close your eyes, whatever you do.”

Alec nods belatedly, eyelids suddenly growing heavy. “Did you…” He sucks in a harsh breath, “c-call an ambulance?”

“I did. They’re on their way,” he says gently. His eyes rake over Alec’s form, and they train on the wound. Alec can tell, even in the state he’s in, the panic settling in Magnus’ eyes.

There’s probably a lot of blood.

“Alec? Alec, please don’t close your eyes,” Magnus says, turning back to him with rushed urgency. “Alec, c’mon, hold out for just a little longer.”

He wants to listen to Magnus, but his eyes are just too damn heavy. The heat has settled in his body and the prickles of pain have fizzled out. There’s probably still smoke in his lungs, and his feet are probably also littered with broken shards of glass too. He feels everything, but also so little. It’s so distant and Magnus’ voice only echoes in his ears, getting farther and farther away.

His eyes try to focus on Magnus, but his vison blurs.

Everything is fuzzy.

It’s warm.

Alec feels the pull of sleep washing over him more and more. His body feels heavy. He just wants to rest.

“ _Alec!”_

Magnus’ cries are the last thing he hears.

 

~~~~

 

Alec’s been in the hospital before.

Enough years in the field, and he’s had to go more times than he could count. Not all of it has necessarily been because he was ever in mortal danger, more like going to ask questions to certain people.

This is probably the first time he’s been admitted for a bullet wound.

The incessant beeping in his ears is what stirs him from his sleep.

The pain is the second thing.

His eyes don’t flutter open, they snap open. He suddenly thrust back into the painful reality that is his current situation.

_He was shot._

The lights are way too bright for his tired, vulnerable eyes. He tries to sit up but immediately abandons the idea as a fresh wave of pain rips through him. He sits back, breath labored. The beeping speeds up and _god will it just shut up?_

“Alexander.”

Alec focuses in on the voice, eyes trailing to his left side to see Magnus stationed at his bedside. His hands hold Alec’s, but that’s not what he focuses on.

Magnus looks _shot._

Wait.

Shit.

_Not a good metaphor—_

He looks exhausted, like he’s barely slept. His face has been cleared of all the dirt and blood, but he doesn’t wear any makeup. His outfit is far from lavish, in a t-shirt that barely fits him and sweatpants. He hasn’t ever seen Magnus wear sweats outside of his house, but he can’t say that anymore. His hair is disheveled and Alec can immediately tell by his eyes that he’s been crying.

That pulls on Alec’s heartstrings a bit.

“ _Hey,_ ” Alec coos a bit raspy, pulling his hand from Magnus’ and lifting it—despite its suddenly heavy weight—to caress Magnus’ cheek, his thumb brushing the skin lightly. “ _Hey, I’m right here._ ”

Magnus leans into the touch, eyes fluttering shut. His lower lip trembles and a stray tear falls from behind his eyes. It trails down his cheek until it hits Alec’s thumb. He brushes away the tear silently.

“I…” Magnus starts out hoarsely, “ _I almost lost you._ ”

“ _But I’m here_ ,” Alec croaks, his voice cracks when he speaks anything more than a whisper. “ _I won’t leave you, Magnus. Not now, not ever._ ”

Magnus eyes flutter open to look at Alec, glossed over from the tears he’s shed. He nods silently before leaning into Alec’s touch again. His lips graze the inside of Alec’s palm, the slight amount of facial hair brushing coarsely against the skin. He presses his lips to the base of Alec’s thumb, eyes squeezing shut as more tears threaten to flow.

There’s so much raw emotion in his expression, and it’s a side of Magnus Alec has never seen before. Though Edom showed him Magnus’ fear, this was a different type of fear. Not the fear of his own safety, but the fear of losing the one person he loved.

It’s such a new expression, but all Alec thinks is that he doesn’t want to see it again.

“ _I’m sorry,_ ” Alec apologizes. “ _I’m so, so sorry, Magnus._ ”

Magnus’ breath shudders as he presses another soft kiss to the interior of Alec’s hand. His eyes open back up to look at Alec, glossy with tears.

“ _Come here,_ ” Alec coos, pulling his heavy hand back towards the bed. “ _Please._ ”

Magnus nods, wordlessly rising from his chair. He can see Magnus wince, and he remembers the possible bruised ribs that Magnus sustained from the blast. The bed dips slightly as Magnus presses his weight into the mattress. The smell of sandalwood, for once, isn’t there with him. The warmth in his eyes is gone too, and it breaks Alec’s heart each time he sees it.

As Magnus’ eyes meet his again, Alec moves a bit, wincing himself at the actions.

“Alexander,” Magnus says carefully, “you don’t have to—”

He situates himself so that he sits up a bit more, and he caresses Magnus’ cheek before leaning in just slightly. Magnus seems to take the message, cutting off his sentence midway and leaning in to close the rest of the space between them. It’s chaste, but meaningful.

The sound of something tumbling makes them part. Alec and Magnus look over to the doorway to see Izzy wearing a surprised look, the waste bin knocked over.

“S-Sorry,” she stutters. “I guess I should’ve knocked.”

Alec gives a small smile to her, straightening up a bit. “You’re fine, Iz.”

Izzy’s lower lip trembles, her resolve breaking. “Do you know how terrifying it is to get a call on my day off to find out you were shot?” She asks, voice cracking. She chokes out a sob and wipes at her eyes. “Sorry. It’s just…you worried me.”

“You worried all of us,” Luke adds, stepping into the room with Izzy. He closes the door behind him and turns to the pair. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m alive,” Alec says rather flatly.

“Yeah, by some sheer miracle,” Izzy says, walking over to the heart monitor. “They said that you were lucky. The bullet passed right through you. It was about a centimeter off from a major artery too,” she adds, turning back to them. “They were able to stitch you up just fine, but it’ll definitely take some time to heal.”

Alec groans at that. “But the case—”

“Is not going to be benched just because you are,” Luke interrupts. “Isabelle and I will still be on it, and I’ll see if Aline Penhallow can help us over here in the meantime.” His brows furrow together. “You need to focus on getting better. In fact, both of you could use some time away from this case.”

Alec’s heart sinks at that. He wants nothing more than to get back to the precinct and dive into work, find whoever the hell did this. Who shot him, who attacked them, who blew up Magnus’ home and—

He stills.

“Wait,” he turns to look at Magnus. “How long have I been out? Where have you been staying?”

“You’ve been unconscious for a couple days,” Luke says, stepping forward. “Magnus has been staying over at my house these past couple of nights.”

“The nurses wouldn’t let me stay,” Magnus says sadly as his fingers trace Alec’s. “I’m not technically family.”

There’s an obvious sadness to his words that pull on everyone’s heart strings.

A heavy beat of silence passes before Luke perks up again. “I’d suggest that once Alec gets cleared from here, that the both of you go to Manhattan.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Why there?”

Luke quirks a brow. “Isn’t your apartment there?”

Alec blinks. “Right…yeah, it is.”

“The both of you need to disappear for a while. Because Magnus’ home was targeted, I’d suggest staying away from anyone directly tied to Magnus. So the farther the way you two are from Brooklyn, the better.” Luke frowns. “Until then, I’ll see what I can do here to get you access to stay with Alec,” he says, hand resting gently on Magnus’ shoulder.

Magnus mouths a silent thank you, and another thick silence passes over the four of them. They switch gears eventually, with Luke and Izzy both having to undergo the stereotypical “did you notice anything out of the ordinary” or “do you remember a certain feature the attacker had” questioning. Each question is either met with firm no’s or uncertainty, and he can tell by the end of it, Magnus is exhausted.

By the time they leave, Alec’s focus drifts back to Magnus. He raises a heavy hand to thread through the crumpled locks of Magnus’ dark hair.

“ _I guess moving in together will have to wait,_ ” Magnus whispers out, and Alec catches the fear in his voice.

Alec’s touches are soft, caressing his skin gently. “ _It’ll be a bit later than we wanted to,”_ he starts, “ _But I promise that as soon as we catch them, as soon as it’s safe to go back, I will move in with you._ ” His arm falls down Magnus’ arm, the weight of the drugs in his body pulling him back down towards the bed. “ _I love you so much, Magnus. And just because this happened doesn’t mean I don’t want to live with you. I do. More than anything else._ ”

A ghost of a smile traces Magnus’ features at Alec’s words. He nods, leaning forward to press a loving kiss to Alec’s forehead. Before the medicine in his body takes him under once more, he hears Magnus’ whispers against his skin.

“ _Good._ ”

 

~~~~

 

After one week in the hospital, and three weeks on sponsored leave, he’s finally back in the precinct. It’s early February now, and the chill of winter is at its worst with snow piled far too high for his liking. Though he’s enjoyed his time with Magnus holed up in his apartment, he’s desperate to get back out on the field.

Surprisingly, there haven’t been any new bodies to turn up in Brooklyn either. It’s strange—he thinks—that the bodies have stopped while he was away on leave. But even as the week he returns comes to a close, there isn’t another murder call regarding Downworlders.

It’s a good opportunity, however, for the entire team to get some work done. Izzy has done quite a lot in the time he’s been gone, going through each of the bodies and doing a thorough run down of everything that happened to them. She was even able to start focusing on the attack on Magnus’ home, collecting ballistics and taking samples.

On a late Friday afternoon, Izzy calls Alec down to the morgue.

“Did you take the elevator?” Izzy asks first as Alec strides in the doorway. There’s still a bit of pain in his side from the gunshot, but his stitches are out and that’s all that matters.

“No. I can walk just fine, Izzy,” he states, walking over towards her office.

She hits him upside the head with a file. “The doctor told you to take the elevators on every occasion until that thing is healed!” She exclaims. “He specifically had said no strenuous activity until—”

“I know, I know,” he says, waving her off. “But I’ve been getting better and Magnus has helped me with moving around without irritating the wound.”

Izzy frowns. “Still, just…be careful. I don’t want you to go _back_ to the hospital. Jace already had a minor heart attack after you called him.”

Alec lets out a breathy chuckle at that, but it dies out a moment later as he walks over to the examination table closest to the office. “So have you found anything that gives us an indication on who may have attacked us?”

Izzy strides over to the table, surveying a few of the items she has there. “Well, much like the ‘souvenir’ they gave you at the hospital, the ballistics of the gun used are the same,” she starts, a gloved hand picking up one of the bullets. “This obviously fits one of our guns, but also applies to some similar models that you can buy pretty easily.” She places it down. “Based on the number of shots in the walls, we concluded that they must have used prepared magazines. You had mentioned the shots came in waves, so it would make sense.”

“They’d need time to switch out the magazines, right?”

Izzy nods. “We also got bomb squad in on it to see if they could piece together what specifically triggered it. It definitely wasn’t a dynamite bomb based on chemical residues we found. But bomb squad said it was most likely a trigger-release bomb.”

Which meant that whoever planted that bomb did so while they were out of the house and then waited until they were in the kitchen to activate it. He shivers at that thought.

“Were you able to determine anything like forced entry?” Alec asks. “Regardless of the setup, the fact that it was there meant someone had to get in, right?”

Izzy nods again. “Since the French doors were blown apart with the blast, we couldn’t get a good reading from them, but all the other doors and windows seemed to be untouched. We swabbed for prints too, just in case, but came up empty in terms of fingerprints.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Only fingerprints? What about shoes?”

His sister’s perceptive smirk returns to her face. “We managed to run floor prints, and though their faint, thanks to you and Magnus’ footprints everywhere, we were able to get one that was well intact.” She takes out a photo from a file and hands it to him. “It was out on the porch, and running diagnostics on it, it’s army grade. And,” she takes out another file. “An exact match.”

Alec’s eyes lift to Izzy, frown prominent. “A match to what?”

Izzy hands him another photo, one he’s seen before. “It’s an exact match to the one we found in Magnus’ apothecary, _and_ ” she trails once more, picking up a different file to look at its contents, “The same boot prints Aline found at one of her crime scenes last year.”

She plops the file in front of Alec, and he surveys that indeed all the boot prints are the same.

“So that means whoever is doing this is working with Camille and killing Downworlders,” Izzy concludes. “They’re the second killer.”

Alec’s eyes widen at the information. “Izzy, this is—” He swallows. “This is _huge_.”

“I know. But you know what else?” Alec gives a questioning look. “These boot prints also match your classic steel-toed, army grade boots, most commonly bought by two groups of people: soldiers, and cops.”

Alec’s eyes widen. “You think they’re a cop?”

“Or at least ex-military. It would fit with Aline’s profile too, based on everything we gathered.”

His eyes brush over the files once more to see if there’s anything they missed. He looks across the table too at what Izzy recovered. “Have you found anything that suggests Camille may have had a hand in this as well?”

Izzy frowns, turning to him. “Not physically, no. But I have some theories.”

Alec gestures her to continue.

“The second killer is in line with Camille, and it should be no surprise that she probably knew the structure of Magnus’ house and how to get in and out unnoticed. Based on the source of the bomb, it’s blast radius and residues, it indicates that—”

A loud beeping interrupts her from finishing the statement. They both look over to Izzy’s desk to see the computer going off.

Alec’s brows furrow. “What the hell is that?”

Izzy walks over, leaning over the computer and clicking a couple of things on the screen. Her eyes widen as she turns hurriedly, grabbing her chair. “Someone is trying to change my files!” She exclaims, turning back to Alec. “Alec, the phishing site caught someone!”

Alec practically runs over. “Can you trace it?”

She types away at the keyboard. “Yeah. It’ll take another minute, but it’s trying to trace the user ID now.” The screen flashes quickly as it goes through photos of the different employees as the site tries to match the ID. They both hover over the computer, vibrating in anticipation.

“Got it.”

Alec leans closer, eyes looking over the screen.

“The ID belongs to a ‘Jason Morris’,” she states.

Alec’s mouth turns down in a frown. “Jason Morris…” he trails, looking to the picture ID. The photo is of a young blonde man with thick, dark tortoiseshell glass and crystal blue eyes. He looks familiar…

_I’m sorry to disturb your meeting, but we found something you need to see._

The familiar tone of a slight English accent rings in his ears.

Alec’s eyes widen.

“Jason Morris…our records analyst?”

Izzy types quickly. “He’s trying to take out the information I put in about Sebastian’s murder,” she states. “And he’s trying to delete the files involving the mark.”

“Where is he?”

She clicks a couple more things and it brings up the map of the precinct. “Fourth floor, records department.” She turns to Alec, meeting his eyes. “Go get him.”

“But—”

“Don’t worry about the files,” she interrupts. “It won’t be long before he figures out he’s been made and tries to bolt. I’ll tell Luke, and he’ll send a couple of people up. Now go!” She yells, pushing out of her chair and pushing him towards the door.

Alec practically shoots out the door of the morgue. His mind is racing and his body moves on autopilot. He rips the door to the stairwell open, knowing full well the freight elevator would take far too long. He _knows_ Izzy is going to kill him for taking the stairs, but right now they can’t afford for Jason to slip away.

With a deep breath, he starts up the stairs.

With each movement, his body screams in agony. The area where the stitches were burn as he takes up the first floor.

Three more to go.

He continues to ascend, and he can hear the door to the stairwell below open as Raj and Alaric start racing up the stairs behind him. He continues forward, racing, racing—

The fourth floor comes into view, and as he takes the last step, his body is screaming at him, desperate for him to stop. But he doesn’t.

_He can’t stop now._

Alec rips open the stairwell door, pushing into the records department. There’s a collective quietness amongst the large room of cubicles, the only sounds in the office are faint murmurs and the incessant clicking of keyboard buttons. It’s painfully quiet, but with Alec’s senses on overdrive, it’s feels incredibly noisy.

His eyes scan the room.

He almost misses it.

Towards the back of the room, there’s shuffling from one of the cubicles. A second later, Jason steps out, looking both ways until—

Their eyes meet.

Jason’s eyes go wide like a deer in the headlights, and suddenly he’s turning in haste, feet taking off under him. He’s unable to get away, however, as Alec runs in haste towards him. Alec grabs his arm, twisting it painfully behind him before slamming him down against a nearby desk. There are startled gasps from the other workers in the department, but Alec focuses on keeping Jason down.

“Jason Morris,” Alec starts, unhooking his handcuffs and snapping them around Jason’s restrained wrists. “You are under arrest for falsifying documents tied to an ongoing murder investigation. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights?”

Jason huffs under him, and Alec pulls him up from the desk. His glasses have cracked and broken, and a small trail of blood drips from his temple.

“I understand,” Jason replies tersely, his English accent ringing through the silence of the office.

Alec turns, handing him off to Raj and Alaric. “Take him away.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (you know you've watched too many cop/crime shows when you can recite the miranda rights without having to look them up)
> 
> So Jason Morris is out mole, and we've officially made the first big step towards the end of our mystery! Next chapter will dive even more into this. Basically these last two chapters are mostly plot based, and we'll begin to see this case come to light. So stay tuned for that!
> 
> side note: the church that Alec and Magnus go to is an actual church in Brooklyn. I tried to describe it best I could, but I don't think I can do it justice, so I added a picture of the interior just so you guys can get a feel for how big and breathtaking it is
> 
> As always, you can come cry and scream at me over on my [ tumblr](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/) or on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/the_biconic_mb)  
>  i'll also be tracking the tag #ttsfic there as well :)


	22. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hidden intentions come to light. Not all of it is easy to swallow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its been a minute, hasn’t it  
> God I’m _SO SORRY_ that I haven’t updated in forever. Uni got hella hectic and I had to stop writing completely in order to focus on passing a particular class and my exams. But now that exams are over, I finally got some time to write this again! And guess what? There are only THREE more chapters to this story, and then it’s DONE!! Omg!!!
> 
> Considering this, these last couple of chapters are going to mainly focus on wrapping up the plot that’s been building since the beginning. There’s a lot of stuff that’ll happen within a short period, so be prepared! Also, this is the last chapter that will feature smut, and this one is /kinda/ lengthy so if you don’t want to read through it, ctrl+ f to “You did amazing, darling” and you should be past all of it. 
> 
> maxing out at almost 17k, i hope you guys enjoy!

“Well, he certainly likes exercising his right to remain silent,” Alec says, crossing his arms as Luke closes the door to the interrogation room. They’re using the biggest one, the room that has the one-way glass across one of the walls. They thought it easier to monitor him from a plate of glass versus a camera and monitor from the AV room.

Luke hums, walking over to stand next to Alec. They both look through the mirrored glass at Jason, who sits silently at the table. His focus is trained on the center of it, and it doesn’t waver. “He knows we have all the evidence against him, as well as a count of murder for Sebastian,” he reports. “Even the best lawyer in Manhattan wouldn’t be able to get him out of this one.”

Alec shakes his head at the joke. “I wouldn’t dare to cover his case, ever.”

“And yet you covered Magnus’ case.”

“That was—” He lets out an aggravated exhale. “Magnus’ case was different. It was apparent from the first couple of meetings that he’d been wrongly accused. With Jason here,” he gestures to the window, “he’s shown no signs of remorse or regret.”

Luke hums, looking to the window. They both stand there in silence, planning how they should carry on before Izzy comes through the door, directing their attention away from the one-way mirror.

“Did you find anything?” Luke asks as Izzy closes the door behind her. She carries a stack of files, and crosses the distance between them with a few short strides, heels clacking against the floor. She turns her head, looking towards Jason with a furrowed brow and a frown.

“We definitely found things,” she starts, turning to the door. “Give me five minutes.”

“Wait, Izzy—!”

Izzy opens the door to the interrogation room, closing it behind her quickly. Alec turns to Luke.

“You’re okay with her interrogating him?”

Luke nods. “She’s done it before,” he informs. “And dare I say she’s quite good at it.”

Alec blinks a bit in surprise as he looks back to the interrogation room. Jason looks up from his spot at the table, meeting Izzy’s gaze.

Izzy crosses over to the table, placing her files there and sitting across from him. She brings her long, dark hair to one side, dark lashes flittering about as she scans the files. “Well, Mr. Morris,” she begins, raising her head. She folds her arms on the table, pursing her lips which—Alec notices—she’s covered with purple lipstick. “It seems you’ve been up to more than we originally thought.”

There isn’t a trace of panic on Jason’s face as Izzy speaks. He wears the same stone-faced expression as before, bright eyes studying Izzy as she looks through the files.

“We went through your credentials,” she informs. “You know, the typical form of protocol when faced with corruption like this. It looks as if you’ve been with us for a good year or so.” She flips through the files. “You had glowing reviews from peers and even a recommendation from Director Aldertree himself.” There’s a sense of awe in her voice, but it’s obvious to both Alec and Luke that she’s pulling at him. “At first glance, you’re the perfect person for the job.”

Jason blinks.

“But that’s just at first glance,” Izzy trails. “You see, the thing is I love to do my research. So, I looked into a bit of your personal life outside this precinct.”

“Can she do that?” Alec questions in a whisper, leaning over to Luke.

Luke keeps his eyes trained on the glass. “I gave her permissions to find out what she could about our mole. Whatever means she obtained that information has been approved.”

“You recently took a month of leave, it looks like,” she notes again. “It says here, your grandmother died.” Her eyes flit back up to Jason. “I looked at her obituary and did some digging, and sure enough, she _did_ have a grandson by the name of Jason. But, that’s where your story gets a bit… _sloppy,_ ” she states. “You see, her grandson was a young man, well off in the world. He had a job at a low rung of the records department in Manhattan. Thing is, when I went looking, the facts didn’t match up.”

She turns her file towards Jason, pushing it forward and pointing to something on the page. “Do you see that, Jason? That is the thing that’s different about the both of you. Her grandson was admitted to the hospital a couple years ago after he had a sudden stroke. Left him completely incapable of using his left leg correctly. He could walk on it, but not without a limp. And yet, it looks as though you are the pinnacle of health, Mr. Morris.”

“The limp is slight at most, and maybe some people would brush it off, saying you received therapy. But you know what I think, Mr. Morris?” She asks, leaning forward. “I think that you never went to therapy. No, you never had the stroke to begin with. Because you’re not Jason Morris, are you?”

Alec shares a wide-eyed look with Luke, gears turning in his head.

Izzy leans back, taking her file back and flipping another page. “Right after your initial arrest, we secured a warrant to search your house,” she states. She smiles down at the file. “Y’know, I took you more for a city man, so seeing that your address was listed in Oakwood out over on Staten Island, I was surprised you lived so far out. The drive must be horrible with all that traffic.”

She flips another page.

“You continued to surprise me, Mr. Morris,” she says. “The minute we stepped into your Oakwood home, it’s obvious to anyone upon entering that the house is in complete disarray.” She purses her lips, and for the first time, Alec can see a slight twitch of Jason’s hand on the table. “I imagine you didn’t think we’d find your home, did you? You didn’t think you’d get caught.”

She looks up at Jason again, seriousness with a touch of anger in her features. “Those bloody clothes we found, are they yours? Or are they Jason’s? After all, his remains _were_ found on the premises,” she reveals, making both Alec and Luke’s jaws drop. “Did you kill him the same way you killed Sebastian Verlac?” She prods. “Did you stab him in the same way? Leave him to rot and die until he became nothing but a mangled mess of bones lying underneath the rotting floorboards of your home?”

Jason—well, _whoever_ he is—stares daggers at Izzy. Though his expression is still relatively flat, his eyes burn with a fire that blazes with a scalding intensity. Despite his boiling, brimming anger, he says nothing.

Yet Izzy seems content with that, rising from her seat and collecting the files she scattered on the table. As she goes to reach for a file however, Jason moves quickly, hand latching to her wrist. There’s a jolt between them, the shuffle of papers and groan of the table as he suddenly moves. There’s a pained expression to Izzy’s surprised features, and it’s in that moment that Alec moves on autopilot, bursting into the room and taking a hold of Jason’s hand.

“Let go _,_ ” Alec warns menacingly. “ _NOW._ ”

His tight grip on Izzy’s wrist relents, and he’s shoved back down into the chair before he escorts Izzy out. When the close the door to the room, Alec turns to Izzy. “Izzy, you can’t do that,” he says concerningly.

Izzy’s brows furrow. “I’m sorry,” she apologizes cradling her aching wrist, “but I was trying to see if there was any way I could get him to budge.”

Luke looks back into the room, to see that Jason’s expression has changed. His posture is rigid and he can practically feel the burn from his anger through the glass. “You did more than enough, Isabelle. He’s showing more signs of aggression thanks to your interrogation.”

Alec looks back to her. “And what was that whole ordeal about Sebastian?” He asks. “Jason doesn’t have anything to do with—”

Izzy interrupts him, shoving the file into his hands. “You may want to rethink that. We did an extensive search of the house, Alec. And you’ll never guess what we found.”

Alec nearly drops the file when he sees it. His eyes go wide, mouth gaping. “You’re not serious…”

Luke pads over to Alec, looking at the file over his shoulder.

They both zone in on the report, where—in what appears to be in big, bold letters—is the biggest revelation of the case thus far.

In Jason Morris’s home, they found a guard uniform stuffed into one of the dark crevices of the closet.

But not just any uniform.

A guard uniform from Edom.

“I ran the badge number through our system as soon as I got back,” Izzy states. “And sure enough, it’s an exact match to the registered badge to Captain Sebastian Verlac from Edom.” She looks to the window, frowning at Jason. “That man…that man is our second killer.”

“Which also means he’s the man who shot Alec,” Luke adds, brows furrowing and frown reappearing on his face.

Alec’s eyes lift from the file and look to Jason. His breath catches in his lungs.

_He shot him_.

He gulps down the lump in his throat, hand absentmindedly drifting to his left side where the healing scar lies.

“I…guess we can add that to the list of crimes to convict him of,” Alec stutters, looking back down to the file. “He still won’t open up about Camille, though.”

Izzy nods at that. “Perhaps he won’t have to say anything,” she suggests. “We’re pulling what we can off of the bloody clothes we found in his home, but my guess is as good as any that it belongs to one of our victims.” She looks back to Luke. “He’s not going to give us his real name easily, so with your permission, I want to take a blood sample and run that to see if anything matches what we have in the database.”

Luke nods at that. “I’ll call some officers in to properly restrain him. In the meantime, we need to start focusing on Camille. Now that her partner in crime has been reprimanded, she may become more reckless. But that also means that more mundanes may be in danger.”

Alec nods. “I’ll contact Raphael again, see if he’s gotten any word from her.”

Luke hums in approval, looking to the clock on the wall. “It’s getting late. Alec, you can take off for the weekend,” he offers with a smile. “I know the drive back to Manhattan will be a lot longer if you get caught in traffic.”

Alec smiles at Luke. “Thank you. Update me if anything happens.”

“Have a good weekend, Alec.”

 

~~~~

 

Alec’s apartment doesn’t come close to the charm of Magnus’ home. For most of the years he lived there, the place had been something to come home to. He wasn’t much of an interior designer, and just stuck with dark-colored statement pieces. The walls were a mix of dark, charcoal grey and white with a nice dark hardwood floor to go with it. The kitchen was simple too, with smooth grey cabinets and matching countertops. All the neutral colors were accompanied by boring, plain furniture.

He assumed that the only patterned thing he owned was the throw blanket draped across the back of the couch. It was an old blanket that he had received from his grandmother back when she was alive.

Needless to say, the first night Magnus spent with him over four weeks ago was interesting. He remembers Magnus laughed the moment he took two full steps into Alec’s apartment, instantly commenting on the lack of décor.

“ _It’s very you,_ ” he had said.

In those passing weeks, they settled in the small apartment. It was far from the atmosphere that Magnus’ home gave off, but with each night that passed, it felt a little more like home.

And by some sheer miracle, Magnus was somehow able to convince Alec to change the color of the dull grey walls. So here they are, spending half of their weekend moving furniture and picking out colors. They end up choosing a vibrant wine red, and by the time they finish the first coat that evening, Alec feels the entire room has a new life to it.

“Drink break?” Magnus asks, handing him a glass of white wine as he sits on the couch next to Alec.

Alec takes the glass with a smile, directing his gaze to the freshly painted wall. “It looks good.”

Magnus hums, bringing the glass to his lips. “I _am_ a master when it comes to interior design.”

Alec chuckles at that, both taking sips of their wine and enjoying the evening in. There’s a sense of warmth between them, accompanied by the low lights and the soft jazz music that plays in the background. They enjoy the silence, just taking in the peacefulness of the evening.

It’s in the still silence that the thought passes over his mind once more. It’s been pulling at him ever since the events at the church in January. With each stride they’ve made in the case and each step towards closing in on Camille, he’s thought about it endlessly and—

“ _Sweetheart,_ ” Magnus calls out, “No matter how hard you stare at the wall, I don’t think it will dry any faster.”

Alec blinks out of his thoughts. “Oh…s-sorry,” he stutters. “I was just—”

“Thinking?” Magnus finishes. Alec nods. “Penny for your thoughts?”

Alec takes a deep breath. “It’s just—” He cuts himself off, licking his lips nervously before placing the wine glass down on the coffee table. “I was just thinking about the case, specifically what will happen after we close it.”

Magnus says nothing, eyes falling to his wine glass. Alec takes it as a sign to continue.

 “After we close this case…I think…I think I’m going to go back.”

As Alec confesses in the sudden silence, he notices a melancholy expression melt into Magnus’ features. His eyes are soft as they study the white wine in his glass. “I know,” he starts. His voice sounds foreign almost, with a subtle tone of disappointment in his words. He rolls the stem of the glass in his fingertips. “You’ve mentioned it before. I’m sure Lydia will be thrilled to have you back.”

Alec opens his mouth, but closes it. He stills, trying to find his words. “I’m not…I’m not talking about the firm, Magnus,” he starts carefully. He looks up to Magnus again, whose brows have furrowed in confusion at his statement. “When this case closes, I’m going to go back to be a full-time cop.”

He watches as Magnus processes the words, setting his glass to the side and training his gaze back on Alec. His dark eyes comb over Alec’s face to determine if he’s serious or not. “But I thought you didn’t want to,” he counters. “You said—"

“You were right,” Alec interrupts. “The reason I quit being a cop in Manhattan was because of Max. I blamed myself and told myself it was all my fault. He drops his gaze down as he brushes his hand across Magnus’, his warm fingertips brushing against the cool metal of the ring he gave Magnus a couple months ago. His thumb brushes over Magnus’ knuckles softly. “But after that day in the chapel, after seeing all of those people and how they _didn’t blame me_ ,” he takes in a deep breath, which shudders a bit. “I realized the only thing keeping me from this job was myself.”

Magnus squeezes his hand slightly. His eyes meet Alec’s again, and those warm, brown doe-eyes make him melt in the best way. It’s a minute of subdued silence before Magnus speaks up again, voice barely above a whisper. “ _Are you sure_?”

Alec nods. “Completely,” he retorts, leaning closer to Magnus. “This is what I want.” He huffs out a laugh. “As much as I didn’t want to admit it before, this job…the rush of it and the feeling of helping people, I missed it.”

Magnus’ eyes drop to Alec’s chest, his hand rising up to brush against the material of his long-sleeved shirt. “ _I’m proud of you, Alexander,_ ” he confesses quietly. “ _For chasing what you want, for not letting your past define your future._ ”

Alec smiles at that, leaning forward so that his nose brushes against Magnus’. “ _Don’t make it seem like I’m the only one,_ ” he whispers against Magnus’ lips. “ _You,_ ” he starts, pressing languid kisses to Magnus’ lips. “ _Are,”_ another kiss. “ _Absolutely,”_ another kiss, a bit longer than before. “ _Amazing,_ ” he states, pressing closer to Magnus. He breaks away for a moment to whisper against Magnus’ lips. “ _You are so strong, so loving and kind. You are amazing in the way that you’ve gone through hell and back, and yet you don’t let those mistakes define you._ ”

He doesn’t wait for Magnus’ response before he presses back to Magnus, who sighs into Alec’s kisses. The heat in them intensifies, their once simmering emotions flaring up like a fire doused in gasoline.

“ _B-Bedroom_ ,” Magnus pants out against Alec’s kisses, groaning as they fumble off the couch and stumble towards the bedroom. The back of Magnus’ knees find the edge of the bed first, and he falls back against the mattress. Alec parts from Magnus enough to drink in his aroused expression, golden-brown eyes blown wide in lust.

Alec’s hands slip under Magnus’ shirt, pulling it up over his chest, arms, then head before discarding it somewhere in the room. Magnus does the same, ridding Alec of his shirt. He barely gets a breath out before Alec bends down, laving his tongue against Magnus’ right nipple.

Magnus keens at the action, back arching at the sensation as his ringed fingers curl into Alec’s dark locks. He lets out a breathless _Alexander_ as Alec continues his ministrations, licking and sucking on one nipple while rolling the other between his fingertips. Magnus’ trembling fingers wrap around the dark locks, pulling slightly and causing Alec to moan against his skin.

Honestly, Alec really hasn’t tried this yet. He’s been relatively restrained when it comes to sex, not really taking risks or liberties. Not to say that not taking risks doesn’t mean great sex, the sex is _great_. But as Alec swipes his tongue over the hardened nub again, teeth gently grazing the sensitive skin, the _sound_ that comes out of Magnus’ mouth.

His dick twitches excitedly in his pants.

He pulls away, his lips forming a small ‘o’ as he sends a small, cool gust against the moistened skin. Magnus writhes underneath him, eyes squeezed shut in pleasure.

“ _Oh god—_ ” Magnus says, choking back a moan. “ _Alexander_.” He throws his head back as Alec presses back down to Magnus’ chest, pressing open mouthed kisses to the revealing skin. He reaches the waistband of Magnus’ pants and starts placing open mouthed kisses along the seams of his skin, where the V of his hips disappear under the clothing.

Magnus bites his lip at Alec’s actions. As much as he loves when Alec does this to him, he knows he’s being teased far too much to be fair. As Alec comes back up for air, Magnus takes the moment to push himself up, suddenly surging forward into Alec’s space. He pushes against Alec’s shoulders, switching their positions until Alec lies with his back on the mattress and Magnus straddling his hips.

Alec looks up at Magnus with a surprised expression, his hazel eyes dark with arousal. He wears a humorous smirk, but it instantly disappears when Magnus teasingly grinds against Alec, feeling his arousal stir at the action. He throws his head back on a groan.

Magnus chuckles at Alec’s reaction as he repeats his movements a few more times. He peels off of Alec soon after, earning a displeased groan from his lover. “ _Don’t worry, darling,_ ” he coos, _“I’m not going anywhere._ ”

He hooks his thumbs under Alec’s sweatpants, teasing the skin around the waistband. Alec gasps at the action, and manages a whine as Magnus’ teasing touch is replaced with his mouth, placing open mouthed kisses along the sensitive skin.

“ _M-Magnus,_ ” he breathes out roughly, writhing under his boyfriend’s touch.

Magnus chuckles, no longer teasing as he forcefully tugs down Alec’s sweatpants in one fell swoop, eyes blown with lust as they focus on Alec’s sporting erection.

He’s not embarrassed by the action. Hell, Magnus can hardly make him embarrassed about anything in bed. If anything, he’s all the more aroused.

Alec is zapped out of his thoughts when Magnus’ careful fingers caress his thighs, wandering over the skin before dipping into the inside of his thighs. He carefully avoids Alec’s aching cock, already starting to leak with precum. Alec moans in dissatisfaction, wriggling under Magnus’ touch.

Pleased enough with Alec’s responsiveness, he finally gives Alec want he wants, wrapping a sturdy hand around the base. He leans down, closing his mouth over the head, tongue prodding at the underside of the crown.

Alec keens.

_God,_ Magnus gives the best head Alec has probably ever received, always managing to render him speechless in a litany of moans and gasps. His skilled tongue and deft fingers work in tandem, lighting Alec’s nerves on fire. His fingers wind into the long strands of Magnus’ hair, careful not to pull too tightly as he continues his ministrations.

He pops off Alec far too soon for Alec’s liking. He remains silent, eyes taking in Alec’s flushed and flustered appearance against the dark sheets. His hands roam up Alec’s chest and _dear god,_ he can’t take this teasing anymore.

Alec surges up, claiming Magnus’ lips in his as his hands roam across the broad expanse of Magnus’ exposed skin. He can’t get enough, hungry for what’s yet to come and—

And he almost misses it, he’s wound up so much.

It’s not that Magnus isn’t kissing back—he is—but it’s not with as much gusto as before. There’s hesitance in his actions, something Alec knows doesn’t happen often. _Did he overstep some line? Did he pull too hard on the strands of hair when he—_?

As Magnus’ hands innocently come up to frame his face, Alec breaks the kiss. He _has_ to see Magnus’ face, he has to make sure that he’s comfortable, that he’s okay. He pulls back, lustful hazel eyes roaming across his boyfriend’s face.

“ _Is something wrong_?”

Magnus has that furrowed brow, afraid to say something. Alec has seen it all too often recently, and he wishes Magnus wasn’t afraid to say the things he obviously wants to say.

Magnus’ gaze falters to the bed, lips licking nervously. “I…I want to try something,” he starts. “But…I don’t know if you’d—” He shakes his head, taking his hands away. “It’s stupid, I’m sorry.”

“ _Hey,_ ” Alec whispers softly, caressing the curves of Magnus’ arms. His touch is featherlight and gentle. “If there’s something you want to try while we have sex, all you have to do is ask.” A smile pulls at the corner of his mouth.

Magnus nods, his anxiousness still present. Alec leans forward, taking Magnus’ lips in his. His kisses are hot, burning and demanding, and it melts the anxiousness away, leaving just raw, passionate desire.

Needless to say, Alec’s attempts at bringing back the mood work.

“W-Where,” Magnus pants out amongst the kisses, “Where is your uniform?”

Alec’s brows furrow, but he continues pressing kisses to Magnus’ lips, neck, and collarbone. “It’s hanging in the closet. What—?”

Magnus draws away from Alec long enough for him to release a needy whine. The heat of Magnus’ body suddenly vanishes, leaving the cold kissing his skin and leaving goosebumps in their wake. A moment later, Magnus returns, and he’s back on top of Alec, grinding against him and drawing needy moans from Alec.

It isn’t until he hears a familiar jingle and a cool sensation around his wrist that he realizes what’s happening.

“Magnus—”

“ _On your knees_.”

The order is voiced in a tone that is dark and gravelly, a tone that Alec knows all too well. Magnus’ voice lowers when he’s aroused, and it sends jittery sparks through his body. He complies with the order, silent anticipation coursing in his bones.

He feels a tug at his wrist, and soon another cool sensation finds itself at his left wrist. It’s then Alec looks up towards his hands.

He’s in handcuffs.

_His handcuffs._

…

_OH._

“ _M-Magnus_ ,” Alec calls out, voice trembling with sheer want.

“ _If I’m overstepping my bounds, you’ll tell me, won’t you_?” Magnus whispers in his ear. His broad chest is pressed against Alec’s back, giving Alec a perfect taste of Magnus’ growing erection in the cleft of his ass. He bites his lip in attempts to resist rocking back against Magnus’ cock.

He nods incessantly, unable to form words. There’s a breathy chuckle in his ear.

“ _Mr. Lightwood_ ,” Magnus begins, rocking forward teasingly, “ _I’m placing you under arrest_.”

_Well._

This is certainly a curveball he wasn’t expecting at all.

The handcuffs have been latched around the slots of Alec’s headboard, meaning no matter how much he pulls on them, his wrists aren’t going anywhere. He sits there with elbows against the pillow and ass in the air, knees spread in want. Alec’s breath picks up in anticipation.

It takes him far too long to find his voice.

“ _W-What am I being arrested for, officer?”_ He stutters out teasingly.

He feels Magnus’ hands ghost down the small of his back and against the curve of his ass. “ _For being so goddamn sexy,_ ” he growls.

Alec can’t help but chuckle at that, his hips pushing back against Magnus as his fingertips find his thighs. “ _How long did it take you to come up with that line?_ ”

“ _Oh darling, you doubt my ability to conjure one-liners on the spot,_ ” he retorts, curling his fingers back up Alec’s thighs. His fingertips brush against Alec’s rim, and the breath leaves Alec’s lungs.

“ _Oh god,_ ” he gasps, “ _Magnus, please…fuck me._ ”

Magnus shushes him, his hands venturing away from his ass and back up the broad expanse of his back. “ _Patience, my love. Haven’t you heard the saying ‘good things come to those who wait’?_ ”

Alec whimpers at that. Magnus is going to make him wait, to bring him to the edge and make him wait until he has to beg and plead and—

He moans out loudly.

Magnus hands have left his body, and Alec looks over his shoulder to see Magnus has peeled off the bed. He sheds his pants and underwear, and Alec has the opportunity to see that Magnus is just as stimulated as he is. Magnus turns away for a moment, and it only takes a minute for him to come back into Alec’s view. He holds a silk blindfold in his hands.

The bed dips as he settles next to Alec.

“ _Is this okay?_ ” He asks quietly, gesturing to the blindfold.

Alec’s eyes zone in on the silk fabric before he nods gently. Magnus leans closer, coming to tie the blindfold around Alec’s head. Suddenly the world is dark, and every other sense around him has heightened. The silence is horrendously loud and Alec can hear the shifts of Magnus’ frame and the lift of the mattress as he pulls away at Alec.

God, he can only imagine how he _looks_ right now: cuffed and blindfolded, needy and on display. He bites his lip on a suppressed moan.

It’s far too long—Alec thinks—between the time the blindfold slid over his eyes and when Magnus was touching him.

“ _Magnus,_ ” he moans out, desperation in his voice. “ _Please_.”

There’s another moment of long, thick silence in the room. Alec is so hyperaware, practically vibrating with need. He _needs Magnus to—_

He practically yelps when Magnus’ hands come to rest against his ass. He spreads Alec’s cheeks apart, and he feel suddenly more exposed than ever before. His breath comes out in harsh puffs. It’s another moment of stiff silence filled with anticipation before he moans out again. A warm, wet sensation prodding against his rim. His hips stutter forward and he pulls on the cuffs slightly.

The sound jars Magnus from his initial action. He sits up, warm breath retreating from Alec’s overheated skin.

“ _I’m sorry,_ ” he apologizes, “ _Was that too much?_ ”

Alec huffs, trying to make his mouth move. He shakes his head to the side, trying to form the words. “ _Christ, Magnus. Please…d-don’t stop,_ ” he stutters out, hands shaking in desperate need.

“ _Oh?_ ” Magnus asks curiously, a humorous tone returning to his voice. His fingertips brush over Alec’s rim teasingly and Alec bites his lip, resisting a moan. “ _You like that then?_ ”

Alec’s incessant nodding makes Magnus chuckle, and there’s barely a moment of pause before that hot, wet sensation prods at his entrance. Magnus’ tongue laves over him, and Alec’s toes curl at the sensation.

_Good Lord,_ he thinks. He’s never been on the receiving end of this, nor has he ever been _cuffed and blindfolded_ during sex but _holy shit_ has he missed out.

When Magnus’ tongue breaches him, he nearly cums right there.

He lets out a desperate whine at the action, his back arching. His forehead rests against the pillow under him as he squirms and moves, aching for more. Magnus seems to notice, and it’s a moment later before he’s sliding a wet finger in, working it in with his tongue.

Magnus does that for what feels like _hours_. It’s torturous, and Alec mewls and whines at the only stimulation Magnus is giving him. His fingers and tongue work in tandem, and Alec can’t help but push back against Magnus. It just feels too _damn good_.

“ _Magnusss_ —” Alec whines out, writhing under him when Magnus’ tongue pulls out of him, only to lave over the rim before diving back in. Alec’s toes curl, his head falling down into the pillow once more. His breathing is erratic and his cock _hurts_ with how stimulated he is. He so on edge, so close to coming without a touch to his cock.

As Magnus croons his fingers, the tips brush lightly against his prostate.

Alec practically vibrates at the stimulation. “ _Mnnn! M-Magnus, p-please_!” He pleads out breathlessly. “ _I—_ ” He gasps as Magnus brushes his prostate again, “ _Please, godfuck, Magnus fuck me please. God, just do something ohfuck—_!” He begs between moans of pleasure to his boyfriend. He begs so much, overwhelmed and overstimulated by Magnus’ antics.

Magnus pulls back, the heat of his tongue and the presence of his fingers slipping out of Alec. Alec whimpers, thighs shaking as he keeps his ass up in the air.

“ _You’ve been so good for me, baby,_ ” he coos, voice dripping with pure sex. His fingertips ghost lightly over Alec’s quivering frame again, sending teasing, taunting shivers up Alec’s spine. “ _And since you’ve begged so nicely, you deserve a reward._ ”

The moan that rips from Alec’s throat is almost unrecognizable.

He’s still unable to see thanks to the blindfold, but he really doesn’t need to see anything to know _exactly_ what’s coming.

Well, besides him.

The head of Magnus’ condom-covered dick pressing against his entrance stirs him out from his thoughts, and with another groan of approval and a push of his hips backwards, Magnus slides his lubed-up cock slowly into Alec and _holy shit._

Alec feels like he’s on fire. Every sensation he’s ever felt during sex doesn’t compare to the feelings he feels right now. With his sight unavailable, every other sense of his has heightened, and he feels it all as each inch by glorious inch of Magnus slides into him until Magnus has bottomed out. He’s so _full_ , good lord, and he lets out a garbled whimper at the overwhelming sensation of Magnus inside of him.

“ _Just checking in,_ ” Magnus says softly, chest resting against Alec’s back. His voice is low and gruff, holding back the urge to fuck him senseless. “ _Is this okay?_ ”

Alec arches his back, pushing his hips back onto Magnus’, trying to make his cock push in a little further to—

“ _M-Move, please, Magnus,_ ” Alec pants out. “ _I’m dying here._ ”

Magnus pulls back so that his chest isn’t pressed to Alec’s overheated skin. Slowly, Magnus pulls out from Alec, and the sensation of him dragging out is so sinfully amazing, he doesn’t think anything will ever compare to it.

Well, except the sensation of when he slides back in.

And _god_ , Alec loses all coherent thought there. His mind is overwhelmed, swimming and intoxicated on each movement that Magnus makes in and out of him. He moans out loudly, so loud he’ll probably get a noise complaint later. But right now, he really doesn’t care. His hands tug at the cuffs as Magnus thrusts into him again.

On one particular thrust, Alec pushes his hips back against Magnus, just enough to—

Magnus hits his prostate dead on with that thrust, and it sends Alec skyward, his head falling into the pillow as he swears he sees stars behind the blindfold. It’s blinding hot, white pleasure that zaps through his bones, his every nerve on fire. Magnus seems to catch on to Alec’s increasing pleasure and starts relentlessly hitting his prostate. Over and over and over…

“ _Mnnn, ohfuck! Magnus! H-Harder!_ ” He practically yells in between his high-pitched moans. His throat is already raw from panting and moaning so much, but he doesn’t seem to care. All he needs is that release, that one thrust to push him off the edge.

And Magnus delivers it not a moment later.

He strikes Alec’s prostate again, but this time it’s paired with a searing kiss to the nape of his neck, biting gently at the skin there. The sensations paired together are all too much, and Alec’s cock jerks as he topples over the edge, painting the sheets of the bed with his release. His shaking arms give out and he falls face first on the bed.

Alec’s climax sends Magnus into a dizzying spiral of his own climax. With a couple more thrusts, he hits his climax, warm cum spurting into the condom. As their movements slow, the silence settles back in, the only sounds are their panting breaths and the occasional mewl from Alec.

After a minute, Magnus pulls out of Alec, who whines at the loss. He discards the used condom and it’s a moment before the blindfold around Alec’s eyes lets up. He blinks a couple of times, getting used to the low lighting around them. He also hears a faint click, and the cold sensation around his wrists disappears.

“ _You did amazing, darling,_ ” Magnus praises, guiding him to turn over slowly before pressing a kiss to his lips. “ _It wasn’t too much, was it?_ ”

Alec’s head is still swimming, honestly, so he doesn’t give a complete answer. He just shakes his head and hopes Magnus understands.

Magnus kisses him once more before he turns to put the blindfold and handcuffs away. He returns a moment later, taking away the soiled top sheet and replacing it with another before settling under the covers with Alec.

“ _Holy shit,_ ” he breathes out, somehow finding his words again as he sinks into the mattress utterly sated. “You were right. Handcuffs _can_ be kinky.”

The statement is so abrupt, it takes Magnus by surprise. The bed shakes as he tries to suppress his laughter, but his lighthearted giggles bubble out of his throat. It’s infectious, making deep chuckles rumble out of Alec’s chest until the both of them are just laughing together in bed, blissed out from their escapades.

Magnus’ laughter eventually dies down, and he takes in a deep breath, turning to Alec and pulling him close. They share a small, chaste kiss before Magnus mumbles “I love you” in a soft tone. Alec nuzzles against him, repeating the statement back to his lover before the gentle grasp of sleep washes over them.

 

~~~~

 

The room is silent, with nothing but the distant echoes of city traffic outside the windows. He’s used to the faint noise, the shift of the sheets as he turns.

What he isn’t used to, however, is the sound of uneven breaths and muffled panic.

It echoes against the stark silence of the room, stirring Alec almost immediately from his sleep. He feels the bed tremble under him, and he turns over, shifting from his left side to his right just in time to see his boyfriend’s shaking frame underneath the thin sheets.

“ _H-Help_ ,” Magnus calls out in his sleep, voice shaky and choked.

“ _Magnus,_ ” Alec calls, sitting up. His fingers press gently against Magnus’ shoulder blade. “ _Magnus, it’s just a dream. Please just—”_

“ _Don’t leave me,_ ” Magnus calls out again. There are tears trailing down his face, the light from the city lights outside illuminating his expression.

Alec’s heart pulls painfully in his chest. The pressure on his hands increases slightly. He shakes Magnus lightly, calling his name. Magnus’ breath picks back up, closer to hyperventilating in his sleep.

_He’s panicking._

“MAGNUS!” Alec raises his voice slightly, putting more force to wake Magnus up.

And a moment later, he does. His eyes snap open and he sits up quickly, eyes darting everywhere and anywhere, trying desperately to ground himself. His breathing is labored and there’s a sheen of sweat over his features. He’s shaking uncontrollably, so much so that the whole bed shakes under him. His movements are desperate, and it’s obvious that he can’t place where he is, or when it is or—

“ _Magnus,_ ” Alec coos softly, fingertips brushing his bicep lightly. Magnus’ body shakes still, but less so. His amber eyes meet Alec’s, and his breathing relaxes a little. Alec leans forward, taking his hands to caress Magnus’ face, brushing his cheekbones with his thumbs lightly. He offers a small smile. “ _You’re okay, you’re safe,_ ” he assures. “ _You’re safe here, Magnus._ ”

It takes a few minutes for Magnus to fully calm down, for his breathing to steady and his shaking to subside. For a long while, the only sounds are Magnus’ heavy breaths and Alec’s gentle coaxing. His tone is soft, endearing, grounding Magnus in a way nothing else could.

When he can draw in a steady breath, Magnus speaks.

“ _I’m sorry._ ”

Alec just shakes his head silently, the caress of his hands trailing up and down Magnus’ bare back as Magnus turns away from him.

It’s been like this almost every night since the attack on Magnus’ home, since the day he got shot. He remembers that first night was the roughest. Neither of them could sleep well. It was just like this: Alec nursing Magnus’ shaking form, tormented by the mental scars left by the attacks on his life. With moving to Manhattan, he lost grounding completely, and it was only because of Alec—he had confessed—that he could regain any footing.

“ _Don’t apologize_ ,” Alec says after a minute, hands winding up to the base of Magnus’ neck, applying slight pressure as his hands move forward then pull back down towards his shoulder blades. “ _I don’t mind, honestly._ ”

Magnus looks back over his shoulder, offering a sad, tired smile to Alec. He takes a deep breath, filling his lungs with oxygen before sighing, bringing his hands up to bury his face in them. “I just…I wish it wasn’t like this. You’re an officer, you need all the sleep you can get.”

Alec’s eyes trail down Magnus’ back, down his spine and focusing on the birthmark on the right side of his waist. His thumb comes down to it, gently stroking against the skin. He leans forward, resting his forehead against the base of Magnus’ cervical spine. He takes in a breath, inhaling the faint sandalwood scent before pressing a kiss to the spot his forehead rested on.

“ _I’m going to go make us some coffee,_ ” Alec says, wrapping his arms around Magnus and surrounding him in his warmth. He looks back at the digital clock on the bedside table before turning back to rest his head on Magnus’ shoulder. “ _And some breakfast. Is there anything you want specifically?_ ”

Magnus’ arms rest over Alec’s, taking his comforting gestures. “Maybe…Maybe an omelet?” He offers, dragging out the first ‘m’ in a quiet hum. “You make the best ones.”

Alec smiles warmly at that, leaning in to kiss Magnus’ cheek before he begins pulling away. “Alright, one coffee and an omelet coming right up.” He pulls himself from the bed, stretching. He winces a bit at the slight ache in his hips, and he notices Magnus’ slightly smug look. He rolls his eyes playfully before placing another chaste kiss to Magnus’ lips and sliding on sweatpants.

He walks out to the living area, leaving Magnus to get ready for the morning. He’s quick to fall into familiar patterns, turning on the stove and the coffee pot, picking out the eggs and other ingredients for the omelets, and grabbing a couple of mugs for the coffee. He slips into silence as he works, humming to himself as he sprinkles some cheese and ham onto the omelet. By the time the coffee and omelets are done, Magnus appears on the other side of the bar.

Magnus wears an oversized pullover hoodie, one he got from college with the school logo plastered over it. His hair drips with stray bits of water that he hadn’t dried from his shower. As he slides into one of the barstools, Alec places the plate of food in front of him, as well as the coffee cup.

Magnus takes a deep breath in, a gentle smile pulling at his lips as he takes the coffee cup into his hands. “You spoil me, Alexander.”

“Mm,” he hums, turning off the stovetop, “You don’t really seem to mind though.”

He can hear Magnus chuckle, and as he turns to grab his plate, his phone rings.

Magnus stops eating, and he swallows whatever bite he had been chewing. Both of them look to Alec’s phone.

It’s Alec’s work chime.

“I thought you said they were going to give you the weekend off,” Magnus states questioningly.

“They were,” Alec states, turning back to the counter where his phone lies charging. He unplugs the phone, swiping it to unlock. “Lightwood,” he answers.

“Alec Lightwood,” a dark tone repeats. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked.”

Alec’s brows furrow, pulling the phone away from his face. Sure enough, the number belongs to the precinct, but he still doesn’t recognize the voice. “Uh…yes. Who is this?”

“Oh, yes,” the voice says in surprise. “It’s Raphael. Raphael Santiago.”

Alec’s eyes widen.

“I’m sorry to contact you on your day off, but the last time we spoke, I promised that I would contact you when I got word from Camille.”

“You know where she is?”

There’s a pause on the other line. “No, I don’t know _where_ she is. But she did happen to send a letter to the DuMort early this morning. Unfortunately, it’s completely untraceable.” He can hear chatter on the other side of the line before Raphael continues. “I came down to the precinct to give the letter to you to see if there was anything you could trace that we couldn’t, but Detective Garroway said you weren’t working today, so thus I’m calling you.”

Alec’s brows furrow together as he paces back and forth. “Is Luke there now?”

There’s a hum from Raphael, and after a minute, Luke’s voice echoes through the speaker.

“Luke, I know it’s my day off but—”

“I want you to come down to the precinct,” Luke interrupts. “Like you said, I know it’s your day off, but with a lead like this, we can’t wait. We’ll start looking into the contents of the letter until you get here.”

Alec nods. “Thanks, I’ll be there soon.”

With a sound of approval from Luke, Alec ends the call, turning back to Magnus, who looks at him from the barstool with a concerned face. “Do they want you to come in today?”

Alec gives an apologetic look to Magnus. “Raphael is at the precinct,” he holds up his phone. “He called me saying they got orders from Camille this morning.” Magnus’ eyes widen. “Luke wants me over there to see if we can track her through the letter she sent.”

Magnus’ eyes lower to his plate, the gears in his head obviously turning. After a moment of silence, he speaks up. “Take me with you.”

“Huh?”

Magnus looks back up to meet Alec’s eyes. “Let me come to the precinct with you. I know Camille far better than anyone, and I may be able to tell a lot more from that letter than anyone. Even Raphael,” he adds.

Alec shakes his head. “Magnus, you’re already too close to this investigation. We _just_ proved your innocence less than two months ago, you can’t—”

“That’s all the more reason why I should be there,” Magnus counters. “I’m an innocent man, Alec. Assisting in closing this case will show the court I’m willing to help those who lost someone either in the Downworld or by Camille’s hand.” He slides out from the barstool, bare feet padding against the floor until he stands close to Alec. “I’ll sign whatever I need to in order to get the legalities out of the way. But please...” he begs, resting a hand against Alec’s bare chest, “please don’t deny me this. I’ve caused enough trouble. It’s about damn time I started fixing it.”

Alec takes a deep breath amidst a frown. His head wants to agree. Magnus has a valid point, and his knowledge of Camille could help them find her faster than on their own. But his heart—

“Fine,” he breathes out a sigh, hand closing over the one that rests on his chest. “I’ll call Luke as soon as I get dressed.” He leans down, pressing a chaste kiss to Magnus’ lips before stepping away. “You could always join me.”

Magnus rolls his eyes playfully. “Thank you, but Luke might give you a hard time if we’re late.” He pats Alec’s shoulder, sending him in the direction of their room. “Oh, and darling?”

Alec turns.

“You may want to get a shower first. You have dried cum on your stomach.”

 

~~~~

 

Coming to the precinct with Magnus in tow reminds him of when Magnus was still under house arrest. But this time, there’s no handcuffs around his wrists, no special force eyeing his every move, no threat that he’s going to be put back in prison. Still, as they walk through the glass doors into the main room of the precinct, as soon as the other officers lock eyes with Magnus, there’s a tension in the air.

Sure, he had been proven innocent, but plenty of people were still wary.

With a deep breath, Magnus puts his foot forward, strolling with his head held high to one of the board rooms in the back. From the glass, Alec can see that Luke, Izzy, and Raphael all stand in the room talking amongst themselves. Luke just so happens to look up as they come closer, and his brows furrow at the sight of Magnus. He opens the board room doors, letting them both in.

“Magnus,” Luke greets, “It’s good to see you. How are you holding up?”

Magnus gives a kind smile. “I’m well, thank you Lucien.” He nods to Izzy. “Lovely to see you, Isabelle, as always.”

He receives a smile in return.

“So,” Magnus trails, turning to Raphael, “you said Camille sent a letter?”

Raphael holds up the letter in question. His eyes trail down to the parchment in his hands, and a frown pulls down the corners of his lips. “I don’t understand why she sent it,” he states. “Normally it’s a letter with direct orders, cold and detached as always. But this…this is exactly like the letter she sent when you were convicted.”

Magnus takes the note from him as he continues. “The overall tone of the letter is the same, but there’s probably only a sentence or two different. I don’t really understand why she’d send a letter with the same exact message twice.”

Alec takes a step closer to Magnus, standing to his left. He leans over to look at the parchment in Magnus’ hands. It’s weathered and weary, and the penmanship is rather professional. The words are curly and an example of flawless cursive. He looks over the content of the letter.

 

> _Raphael,_
> 
> _Please extend these words to the others:_
> 
> _To all those who express their concerns, worry not, for I am working diligently to ensure our safety. My children, take caution. I am sure you are all aware of the threat that our former High Warlock—Magnus Bane—poses. I am saddened to hear of his treasonous crimes, and now that he is free, I am worried for the safety of my children. Please, my darling ones, stay safe. All will be well soon._
> 
> _With all my love and affection,_
> 
> _Camille_

 

His brows furrow at the letter. The tone of it drips with concern and love for her people, a direct antithesis of what he’s heard about her. And—according to Raphael—a direct antithesis from her other letters.

“And you’re sure this is from Camille?” Alec asks, eyes raising from the letter to Raphael. He nods. “How do you know? Did she drop it off or something?”

Magnus shakes his head. “No, she wouldn’t do something like that.” His eyes stay trained on the letter. “She’s adamant about being completely untraceable. She doesn’t leave any immediate indication to anyone her whereabouts. It keeps her distant.” There’s a pause before he mutters “She never liked getting too close.”

Alec frowns. “You say that, but then the nature of this letter is the exact opposite,” he states. “With every sentence, she’s worried for you and her people. From the looks of it here, she’s just trying to look out for all of you.”

Raphael goes to retort, but Magnus beats him to it.

“No, Alexander, you don’t understand. Camille doesn’t give a damn about the Vampire subgroup. If she did, she wouldn’t be killing Vampires along with the other Downworlders. Hell, she couldn’t care less about what happens to any of them now.”

“Then why the note?”

Magnus frowns. “It’s a message, but it’s got hidden meaning to it.”

“Hidden meaning? Magnus, this is—”

“Think about it,” Magnus counters. “This message is exactly the same as the one Raphael received before.” He looks to Raphael. “You said her letters before have always been different, cold-hearted and detached. So why would she give the exact same message they’ve heard before? My guess is that this letter is most likely encrypted, meant solely for her followers.”

Izzy’s brows furrow. “Her followers? But I thought everyone in the Vampire group were her followers.”

Raphael shakes his head. “Anyone in the Downworld could tell you how fractured the Vampire subgroup is. Not everyone is as devoted to Camille as they seem.”

Magnus nods at that statement, placing the letter down and crossing his arms. “He’s right. Raphael is well respected amongst the community, and when Camille first disappeared, the Vampire group looked to him as their leader. He led them and treated them as equals. But Camille…Camille was never one for equal footing. Many of the Vamps, including Raphael here, are against her unjust ways. But there are others who are completely devoted to Camille and her ways. And those people, those are the people I believe this message is intended for.”

Alec looks back to the note on the table. “Alright, then we’ll run it through the database. Izzy and I can comb through it to see if it matches any recognizable encryptions and—”

Magnus shakes his head. “If you give me a bit of time, I could crack it for you.”

He looks up to see all eyes on him. Magnus shrugs.

“Forgive me for sounding like a broken record, but I know Camille far better than anyone in the Downworld,” he informs. His eyes spark with fire, determination flaring in his dark spheres. “I know exactly what I’m looking for, and it won’t take long for me to crack it.”

Raphael nods at Magnus statement. “It’s true. If anyone knows what to look for, it’s Magnus.”

Alec looks to Luke, hoping for some retort. However, Luke seems to understand Magnus’ words, nodding as he steps away from them. “Very well. I’ll get the paperwork.” He turns towards the doors. “Izzy, help Magnus with setting up what he needs. You can use this room to work in for the time being. Alec,” he gestures for Alec to walk with him. “You’re with me.”

Before they turn to leave, Raphael steps forward. “With all due respect, I came here to deliver that letter. However, if I’m gone too long, the group may get antsy.”

Alec opens his mouth to retort, but Magnus interrupts him.

“Go,” he says. “If anything else happens in the subgroup, we need someone on the inside to notify us.” He turns to Raphael. “If anyone can do that, it’s you.”

Raphael nods in agreement. “If I get word from Camille again, I’ll make sure to contact you.” He steps towards the doors. “Best of luck to you, officers. And Magnus?”

Magnus looks up at him.

“When you find Camille, kick her ass for me.”

A hint of a smirk tugs at Magnus’ lips as he takes another look at the letter. “It would be my pleasure.”

 

~~~~

 

After Magnus has set up in the board room, it’s a waiting game until he can crack it.

And _god_ , does Alec hate waiting.

It’s not like they can do anything else towards the case in the meantime. Sure, they’ve tried to make strides in terms of Jason—who has been transferred to the holding cell downstairs for the time being—but he’s still adamant about remaining silent. No matter what approach they use, he doesn’t budge, and it just pisses Alec off.

With that in mind, Luke decided it was enough interrogation for the day, and thus put him on duty, filing paperwork and looking over case files at his desk. Izzy returned to the morgue, refining autopsy details and going through all the stuff they found at Jason’s home. From where Alec sits at his desk, he can see Luke on the phone with someone, most likely a superior of sorts.

Alec looks back down to his files, reviewing the new case details and typing up the new information to send to Lydia. It’s monotonous work, and as the boredom settles in his bones, he can’t help but steal glances towards the board room every now and again to look at Magnus as he works.

Magnus works silently, but efficiently, he finds. From what little he could see before the blinds closed, Magnus had been writing different things out on the large whiteboard, referencing a large display of books. He said that he could crack the code, which is relatively surprising considering that his main degrees are in history and literature. There’s nothing about Magnus that immediately screams “codebreaker” in his credentials.

But then, when was Magnus ever one to mold to expectations?

“Lightwood, _I swear to God_ , if you don’t stop tapping your foot, I’m going to lose it.”

Alec blinks out of his thoughts to see Raj scowling at him from across his desk. They’re desk mates so to say, as Raj’s desk is directly stationed in front of his. He stiffens and his foot stops tapping against the floor.

“S-Sorry,” he apologizes.

Raj rolls his eyes, looking back to his paperwork. “I understand that you’re waiting for your boy toy to crack whatever code you received earlier, but if you’re going to annoy the shit out of someone, do it somewhere else.”

Alec frowns at Raj’s tone. “Hey, don’t call him that. Magnus isn’t my “boy toy”, he’s—”

The statement is cut off suddenly when the door to the board room opens. Magnus comes out of it, sleeves of his dark shirt rolled up to his elbows. He’s rid of his jacket from earlier, and he can tell Magnus has threaded his hands through his hair a few too many times by the way it falls against his forehead. His movements are somewhat rushed, yet absent of desperation as he knocks on Luke’s door. There’s a moment before Luke steps forward, and Magnus nods to him silently.

“Alec,” Luke calls over, and Alec practically leaps up from his seat. “Go get Isabelle. We’ve got a lead.”

 

~~~~

 

Alec closes the door to the board room and sits down in one of the chairs, watching as Magnus brings up the projection of Camille’s letter.

“How did you crack it?”

Magnus shrugs, crossing his arms across his broad chest. “It took a bit more time than I intended, but I was able to figure it out.” He points to her curvy handwriting on the screen. “Her curly handwriting suggests she’s self-important, caring only about herself which is a direct antithesis from the initial message of the letter. Though she shows concerns at first glance, her acknowledgement to Raphael is cold and unwavering, like she doesn’t care.”

He tears his gaze away from the projector screen and to the overhead projector that illuminates her letter. His fingers trace along the page, straightening it slightly.

“She writes quickly, not wanting to waste any time. But that also shows how the slant deepens around the time she references my name.” He frowns. “From the second she mentions me, it’s obvious that everything she says afterwards is a lie. The large capital letters of my name and at the beginning of every sentence also suggest that arrogant dishonesty she encompasses.”

Alec’s eyes scan the letter on screen. “You can tell all that from the letter? How?”

A ghost of a smile appears on Magnus’ features. “Graphology is a fascinating thing, Alexander. I studied it when I worked with Ragnor over in Europe, and I knew quite a few linguists who also taught me some things about deciphering texts.” He turns back to the projector. “Here, though, is what really caught my eye,” he states, fingers trailing over the lettering. “The term ‘My children’ is a term of endearment, and it’s written rather truthfully.”

“So she’s speaking directly to her followers.”

Magnus nods. “Now looking at the _nature_ of the letter, there are some letters that are stressed more than the others based on the way the pen bleeds against the paper. So,” he trails, turning to turn the whiteboard to the side around, revealing a string of letters made up of A’s and B’s, “I broke it apart to see if I could crack it.”

Izzy perks up. “Binary?”

Magnus nods. “Yes, and no. It’s similar to Ayran code, which uses a binary code with a 21-letter alphabet. But this particular code uses an alphabet of 20 letters, all comprised of a bit string of 5 binary digits. The letters I highlighted in her letter here can be inserted into this binary, producing a sequence of A-B patterns that roughly translate to…” he trails off again, uncapping the marker and writing out the translation.

He writes it out fully, and then steps to the side, silently capping the marker. Alec, Izzy, and Luke look over the sequence on the board.

“Bleeder den?” Magnus nods. “What is that supposed to mean?” Izzy asks.

“It’s a term used for illegal Vamp activity,” Luke informs. “When I did an investigation of the Downworld years ago, I heard that rogue members collect there, doing illegal activity that the Council doesn’t stand for.”

“Then why didn’t the Council close it down?”

“They couldn’t,” Luke states. “Though the Council did know that there _were_ bleeder dens, no one ever found a location.” He frowns, crossing his arms. “And it looks like we’ve reached that wall as well.”

Alec sighs in defeat. “Great, so we have an answer on where to find them, but we don’t know where that is.” He shakes his head. “And just when we had a stride on finding her.”

Magnus opens his mouth to say something, but pauses. “I…I may now someone who might know the location of a bleeder den,” he confesses. He looks up to see Izzy, Alec, and Luke’s eyes glued to him, begging him to explain. “It isn’t Raphael; he’s completely against any backhanded or illegal dealings of the Downworld.”

Alec looks at Magnus with a glare. “Then they’re someone who’s been committing crimes?”

“I didn’t say that,” he counters. “It’s just…they’re more…flexible when it comes to what is right and wrong. They don’t really stray too far to one side or another.”

“So they’re a floater.”

Magnus shrugs, but nods at Izzy’s statement. “If I can contact them, then perhaps we can get a hit on where exactly Camille’s bleeder den is.”

“Magnus, we can’t—”

“There’s a payphone about a block and a half away from here,” Luke interrupts, rising from his seat. “It won’t track the call.”

“But Luke—!”

“I understand your concern, Alec,” Luke states. “But this is our only way to finding that location. I’ll take the heat for using underhanded methods, but we can’t let Camille get away, especially since we finally have some way to get to her.”

Alec lets out an aggravated sigh. “You’re right.” He nods to Magnus. “Go.”

Magnus gives a hesitant nod before he walks out of Luke’s office and out of the precinct doors. Alec heaves a sigh, looking back to the whiteboard. “Let’s hope we can get an address.”

 

~~~~

 

By some miracle, Magnus is able to get an address.

The warehouse itself is a hop, skip, and a jump from two nearby cemeteries: Mt. Neboh to the west and the Evergreen Cemetery to the north. _It’s an ideal location_ Magnus had said, seeing as a lot of shady illegal deals between Downworlders occur in cemeteries late at night.

They reach the warehouse within minutes, surrounding it completely and closing off the block so no one interferes. The warehouse itself on the outside looks abandoned and forgotten, with graffiti littering the cracked and aged walls. Every window either has iron bars over it or is boarded shut, so no one can look in and only those in hiding can look out.

They get out of the SUV and circle around to the front of the car, where Luke pulls out a map. He points to the plans of the warehouse. “We have the entire place surrounded,” he starts, “and every entrance we know if will be stationed with guards. We have teams stationed by the hangars as well in case those doors lift.” He looks up towards the warehouse, the afternoon sun gleaming across his dark sunglasses. “But considering this is Camille’s hideout, there’s no telling what’s inside.”

Alec looks at the warehouse, shielding his eyes from the sun. “Did your friend say anything about the interior, Magnus?”

Magnus looks to the plans, his brows furrowing. Granted he’s not an officer, but the fact that he was the one who found the address, Luke thought it best if he tagged along to see the outcome. He frowns. “Not really. Quinn’s been in a bleeder den before, but never Camille’s,” he states. His eyes scan the blueprints. “It’s multileveled, and they’ve reported a basement in this warehouse. It’s been abandoned for years by the city, which means Camille most likely has a plan of escape built in somewhere we don’t know about.”

Alec sighs. “What do you think we should do, Luke?”

Luke frowns back at the plans. “We need to find out more about this basement area,” he informs. “Specifically if there’s anywhere that can lead out to an escape.” He turns to the west. “The railroad tracks here would pose as good cover, so I’ll issue a squadron to pursue that location and press forward to—”

“Let me go,” Magnus interrupts suddenly, and all eyes focus on him.

“What?” Alec questions.

“Let me go,” he repeats. “If the police swarm this place, Camille will slip through. She knows the ins and outs of that place, and there’s plenty of ways for her to escape, not just the railroad. Let me go instead.” He meets Luke’s gaze. “She’s not intimidated or afraid of me, and I can keep her from running.”

Alec shakes his head. “No, Magnus, we can’t—”

“If we don’t, she’ll disappear again,” he interrupts. “And that means more Downworlders and Mundanes will be victims to her tyranny.” He frowns. “ _Please,_ let me do this.”

Alec looks to Luke, desperately hoping that he’ll give some form of refusal to Magnus’ request. However, he sees little resistance from Luke. “Luke, you know we can’t do that. He’s not an officer and—”

“Yes, I know, Alec. But…” he sighs. “Magnus does have a point. If we lose her now, we put more people in danger.”

“And you’re fine with putting Magnus in danger?!” Alec counters back quickly. “They could be armed or—”

Magnus’ hand rests against Alec’s forearm, giving it a firm squeeze and effectively cutting Alec’s statement off. He looks up to Alec. “I’m volunteering, Alec. I know the risks, and I’m willing to take them.” He frowns. “I let Camille get away once. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

Alec’s lip quivers hesitantly. “Okay,” he agrees. He reaches into his back pocket, handing Magnus a small hand-held device no bigger than a flash drive. “Take that with you. When you find Camille, press that button and it’ll send us your location in the building.” He wraps his fingers around Magnus’, taking in a deep breath. “Be careful,” he warns.

Magnus nods, gazing up from their hands and back into his eyes. He gives a reassuring smile to Alec. “I will.” He steps away to turn to Luke, but he doesn’t get too far before Alec reaches out to catch his arm. Magnus turns back to Alec, surprise flooding his features.

“I love you, Magnus,” Alec adds, voice lowering to a soft tone.

Magnus smiles up at Alec, placing a hand in the crook of Alec’s neck. His thumb brushes Alec’s cheek silently, hoping to qualm some of his fears. “I love you too, darling,” he confesses.

Alec leans forward to press a kiss to Magnus’ lips as a parting gesture, not caring if he’ll get called out for it or not. When he pulls back, his eyes roam over Magnus’ face. Fear pulls at his insides, and he can’t help the words from tumbling out of his mouth.

“You’ll make it back,” he says in desperation, hands tugging on Magnus’ dark coat. “Promise me you will.”

Magnus’ eyes are warm as the pressure of his hand on Alec’s cheek increases slightly. “Why wouldn’t I?” He asks. “Look what I have waiting for me.”

Alec takes a deep, shuddering breath as Magnus pulls away from him. He wants so desperately to keep Magnus from going, or to go with him, just to do _something_ so he doesn’t go alone. But Alec resists as Luke hooks up a hidden mic to him and Raj and Alaric escort him towards the entryway of the building. Alec watches as they round the corner, disappearing from sight.

“He’ll be fine, Alec,” Luke assure. “Don’t worry.”

Alec nods absentmindedly. The only thing coursing through his mind now are the same two words:

_Be safe._

~~~~

The warehouse interior is as shady as they come, Magnus finds. It’s dusty and abandoned, and a place that is justly under the radar. _It’s perfect for her,_ he thinks.

As he walks through the halls of the den, his eyes comb over the stuff surrounding him. Most of it is dilapidated and worn, things like abandoned bookshelves and broken furniture, but there are occasionally small trinkets, things that seem a bit newer amidst the old junk. He comes to the end of the hall, opening the door there slowly and flowing into another room.

This room itself is just like the others, so he doesn’t spend much time wasting around it. It’s awfully quiet, but he assumes it’s because of the police presence outside. They have nowhere to go currently, not with the entire building surrounded, so perhaps they’re just hiding.

He continues forward, searching through room after room and finding nothing. He ascends the stairwell, turning to go down another hall, but something catches his eye.

In the paneling of the wall is a small gap, seemingly nothing. But as he passes it, he can hear a faint whistle of wind through the cracks. He hovers his hand over it, and sure enough a gentle puff of air comes from the paneling.

Brows furrowed, his fingertips wrap around the paneling, pulling it back slightly. It caves under his pressure, and loosens from its hold. He places the panel to the side.

It’s a doorway.

On the other side of the opening, its hidden by an old army green blanket. He ducks under the small entryway, pushing away the blanket as he files into the secret room. He rises up and surveys his surroundings.

The room is far darker than the others, with the only light source being the rays of sunlight that peer in through the foggy, boarded up windows. Magnus’ brows furrow as he turns towards the shelves, curiosity prickling at his skin.

The first thing he notices as he nears an old dresser is the amount of stuff piled on it. There are thousands of small things, trinkets, knick-knacks. His fingers close around an old pocket watch adorned with golden embellishments and intricate design work. He clicks it open.

It’s no longer working, which isn’t too surprising, but the quality craftsmanship within it is astounding. The level of detail and finesse in the carvings—it’s no doubt its handmade. His eyes venture to the inside of the cover, where a small engraving lies.

_E.N._

His thumb brushes over the letters, brows furrowing as he looks back to the cabinet. He looks up at the shelves, studying the contents. A stray beam of light shines from the boarded windows, hitting one of the items. Magnus’ eyes widen. He places down the watch on the shelf.

“It can’t be…” he whispers, hands reaching up to wrap around the thin fiber. He brings it down, and his breath hitches.

_A guitar string._

The breath leaves his lungs. _Surely it can’t be…_

He looks back to the shelves, desperately searching, desperately hoping that these _aren’t_ what he thinks they are.

 

_You said Linette’s wedding ring was missing?_

_…she always wore a locket around her neck with her current boyfriend’s picture in it._

 

His movements stop completely, shaking hands frozen in mid-air. He breathes in softly, his hands moving closer as they close around the golden necklace sitting on the shelf. His thumb trails across it, opening it gently.

His breath hitches.

Inside the locket is a picture of Kitty, much older, much more… _different_ than he had ever seen her before. Her long blonde hair is tied back, and she sports a look with minimal makeup. She’s as beautiful as he remembers her to be, perhaps more so since it’s been so long. His eyes trail to the other side of the locket to see a man with dark hair and a bright smile. His features are familiar, and it takes a minute before Magnus remembers seeing him in the courtroom that day of his trail.

His hands are shaking as he holds the locket. He places it next to the guitar string, looking further in the cabinets for anything else he recognizes. He finds so many things, so many different items that were part of his old memories.

One of the last things he finds, interestingly enough, is Linette’s ring.

He only knows it’s Linette’s because of the pictures he had seen of her after the wedding. He remembers the diamond, and how brightly it shown. The craftmanship is exactly the same to what he remembers, and the weight of finding this ring, finding these _things…_

He lets out a staggered breath.

_They’re trophies._

Trophies from all those who have died, scattered and lined up in these shelves to show off all the bloodshed, all the satisfaction of—

He feels sick.

He takes a few paces back from the shelves. His mouth is dry and his emotions are starting to get the best of him. He frowns, looking down at his shoes. He can’t mourn them right now, not when he’s _so close_ to finding justice.

Magnus turns away from the shelf, walking further towards the back of the room. His steps are light, trying not to make much sound. He continues to look around, taking in all the various trophies and items Camille and her followers have stolen. He takes another step forward, only to hear glass crunch underneath him. He stills, looking down and taking his foot off the shattered object.

As he does, however, he pales.

He had lost it long ago, he thought. It had disappeared one day when he was moving things around in the house. He thought it may have been in the office, tucked away in some crevice he couldn’t remember. But no, it was here.

He bends down, taking the photo out of its broken frame. His breath shudders as he reads the writing on the back.

 

_To my darling son, Magnus_

 

He flips the photo over, revealing the picture of his mother and him as a child. They didn’t have very many pictures from when he was younger, but this one was one he had cherished. Tears start to collect against his eyelids at the sight of the photo. His mother was always so beautiful, and this picture encompassed all of that. The fact that it was here meant—

Camille took it.

This was the trophy for _his imprisonment._

Now he’s really going to be sick.

_No…I can’t think like that now,_ he says to himself. _I have to find Camille._ He rises from the ground, slipping the photo into his pocket, the same one that houses the button he has to press for Alec to find him. He presses forward, eyes concentrated on the walls. He passes his fingers over the old, withering materials until his hands catch an old tapestry against the wall. He pushes it to the side, revealing a hidden stairwell.

His ears catch a familiar echo. It makes his hands shake against the railing.

_Camille._

He descends quietly, entering in a completely different area than that of the rooms before. It’s definitely part of the basement, or somewhere below the warehouse. The walls are covered in a mix of broken metal framing and growing moss. The only light that comes through is the light filtered from the gaps above. Most likely their underneath the railroads, and they’ve cleared out the space to hide.

“If you had done what you were told, then they wouldn’t have surrounded us!” A familiar, bone chilling womanly voice echoes out. Magnus sighs. _It’s Camille, there’s no mistaking it._

Her yelling subsides, and Magnus carefully creeps towards the source of the voice, cautious as to not make any noise.

“Go join the others,” Camille snaps out. “I’ll join you once I make sure the evidence is destroyed.”

He hears a grumble of approval, supposedly from another rogue member before the slam of an iron door echoes into the empty rooms. There’s a sigh before that familiar clack of heels echoes against the tile. Magnus bites his lip, begging for his breathing to quiet down. He ducks behind a wall, hoping to be hidden from view as the clopping comes closer…

Closer…

The minute Camille’s figure comes into view, Magnus’ heart stops in his chest. Fear grips him as he takes in her appearance, which seemingly hasn’t changed from the last time they met years ago. He backs up, hoping to stay out of her sight, hoping to—

_CLANG!_

Magnus freezes, wincing as his foot hits a metal pipe. He looks back just enough to see that he’s backed into another room, one seemingly without a way out. He’s quick to hide behind the door that—thankfully—opens inwards. He squeezes his eyes shut as Camille’s clicking heels stop. They start once more, breaking the momentary silence. However, the sound doesn’t become distant, quite the opposite.

_She’s going to come in this room._

He isn’t sure if it’s just some laughable twist of fate or not, given that she’s about to fall into a room with no way out and Magnus is the one who can stand between her and the only door in this room. She’s about to fall into a trap, one that Magnus hadn’t even planned.

It truly is ironic.

When her form comes into view again, Magnus holds his breath, watching as she strides further into the room. As she turns, he can see her narrowed dark eyes surveying the area, searching. She’s just about to turn away from him when—

_WHAM!_

Magnus slams the door in front of him shut, the iron door echoing against the walls of the small room.

“What the hell?” Camille barks out, turning in haste to the source of the noise.

“Relax,” Magnus starts, taking a breath and straightening up. “It’s just me.”

Camille’s dark eyes widen in surprise before a knowing smirk crosses over her rosy red lips. “ _Magnus,_ ” she coos.

Magnus’ brows furrow together. “ _I’m so sorry,_ ” he whispers under his breath as he turns to the door, locking it. He takes that moment to press the button to the device in his pocket before turning back to face Camille.

Camille’s eyes zone in on the door. “What do you think you’re doing?” She asks.

Magnus’ gaze bleeds regret as he steps forward. “What I should have done a long time ago.”

Camille seems to understand the message immediately. “Magnus,” she says in that classic, deceptive yet suave tone of hers. “Don’t be like that.” She takes a step forward, hoping to slide past him. However, Magnus doesn’t relent, blocking her from leaving. “Magnus,” she calls again, her tone dipping into something a bit more dangerous. “Let me out of here.”

“You know I can’t do that, Camille,” he says grimly, eyes trained on Camille’s figure. “Not after what you’ve done.”

Camille huffs. “Since when did you become so noble?” She questions, judgmental eyes trailing over his figure. “Don’t tell me you’ve turned to a life of good deeds just for that boy toy defense attorney of yours,” she accuses.

“Leave Alec out of this,” Magnus counters. “This is between you and me.”

A smirk slips past Camille’s cherry red lips, her mischievous demeanor coming back. “The same you and me who became the most respected leaders of the Downworld? The ones who took down drug operations and corruption when our people were suffering?”

Magnus’ fingers trail across the bridge of his nose. “Believe me, this wasn’t an easy decision. But you crossed the line.”

Camille’s posture stiffens a bit, but she wears the same indifferent look.

“Killing mundanes was never what the Downworld stood for, Camille,” Magnus states, dread soaked in his words. “What you did crossed the line, and I won’t let my people suffer for what you’ve done.”

Camille rolls her eyes. “So what? You’re going to report me because one little mundane turned up drained of their blood?” she questions. “One mundane won’t bring the entire Downworld to its knees, Magnus.”

Magnus frowns. “One? Perhaps you can bat your eyelashes and blow smoke up everyone else’s ass, Camille, but you can’t fool me. Out of everyone in the Downworld, I’ve known you the longest. There have been multiple mundanes turning up drained of their blood, as well as some of their belongings stolen. Don’t think I’ve forgotten why you left the Downworld the first time.” He takes a deep breath, his brows furrow further. “You even stole from Imasu and Linette. **_How DARE you_** _._ ”

His words are dripping with spite, and Camille visibly tenses.

“Magnus—”

“Do you not care for any of them?” Magnus interrupts. “The Downworld was never something to rule, so why are you trying to control something that should be free? These people…they’re free people.”

“People seeking a bigger purpose,” Camille retorts.

“But that doesn’t mean they desire to be ruled! They want equality, a sense of belonging! Not servitude.”

He takes in a deep breath before he continues.

“You’ve brought hundreds of people into the Downworld,” he states with a frown, “even your own family. Unlike you, I don’t have a family. The Downworlders I take under my wing, they are my family, my children. I’ll do anything I can to protect them.”

Camille’s wide-eyed look fades as she steps closer to Magnus, a ghost of a smile pecking the corner of her lips. “The fear of loneliness has always been your Achilles’ heel,” she trails.

Magnus’ gaze snaps back to her, a hint of fear present in his eyes. “ _Don’t_ ,” he whispers.

“You’ve never done well losing those you love,” Camille continues, a delicate hand tracing the lapels of his jacket. “Your mother, your father, even the seventeen others you loved _so much_ ,” she states, eyes trailing back up to Magnus’, “They all disappeared within a blink of an eye.”

Magnus stays quiet, body stiff and tense as she presses her hands across the expanse of his jacket. Her eyes rake down the silver embellishments on it.

“I’m the only one you can count on to be here for you forever,” she coos. “You know that.” A more confident smile appears on her face, her eyelashes fluttering slightly. “And _that_ is why you love me. You always will.”

Magnus’ eyes grow sad as his eyes trace over Camille’s features. His hand comes up to touch the side of her face gently before brushing over her dark, silky hair. A crestfallen look crosses his face as she leans into his touch. His fingers brush past the ends of her hair and he takes his hand away, his posture becoming less open and more structured.

“Enjoy Idris,” he says grimly, stepping back to unlock the door. “I hear the weather’s a delight.”

Camille’s eyes widen as Magnus steps away and the police force comes rushing in. Without anywhere to run, they swarm her, immediately cuffing her and reading her the rights.

 “How could you?” Camille asks, a bit of desperation in her voice as they close the cuffs around her and tug her up. “I thought you loved me!”

Magnus watches as her look turns from desperation to anger, spite glowing in her dark eyes. His lower lip trembles, and he tries his hardest to keep his hands from shaking. He stays silent as the officers start pushing her out towards the exit. When she leaves the room, he’s left with her distant cries echoing in the warehouse.

He falls to his knees and cries.

 

~~~~

 

He hasn’t even been in the interview room yet, and he’s already sick of her.

Perhaps it’s because of how long it’s taken to find her that he’s so pissed. Or perhaps it’s the fact that she killed over 20 people since he took Magnus’ case. Better yet, maybe it’s the fact that she deliberately framed Magnus and tried to get him killed.

Whatever the reason, Alec’s had enough of her.

Both the Lightwood siblings watch from the AV room as Luke sits in with Camille. From the looks of it, it hardly seems to go well. There’s an obvious tension in Luke’s shoulders, whereas Camille looks right at home, overly confident in a way that makes Alec uneasy.

She’s been arrested. Surely she would’ve been somewhat subdued, wouldn’t she?

Luke rises from his seat and disappears off camera. A minute later he shows up in the AV room.

“Anything?”

Luke shakes his head. “She won’t answer my questions,” he states plainly, placing the folder on the desk in front of the monitors. He looks towards her form on the camera. She’s wearing a bored expression. “She’s like Jason: silent as can be.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Really? I thought she’d be more talkative, or at least have the nerve to ask for a lawyer.”

Luke shrugs. “The ball in still in her court,” he states. “She has all the information, and we don’t. As long as she has that advantage, she’ll wear us down.”

Alec looks to Izzy. “Have you gotten any results back on the series of murder trophies we found in the den?”

Izzy nods, handing him a file. “A few. We’re still running diagnostics on a lot of them, but there’s enough there to maybe get her to open up about something.”

Alec nods, rising from his chair. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to try and talk to her,” he offers. “Being a lawyer, I’ve had to deal with a lot of prickly clients.” He looks back to the monitor. “If I could talk with her for just a couple of minutes, I might be able to pinpoint a weakness.”

Luke takes a deep breath. “Alright. Just remember: Camille is a master manipulator. She’ll try to twist your words in whatever way she can.”

Alec acknowledges his words before slipping out of the AV room, down the hall, and into the first interview room. He rests his hand against the door handle. Taking a deep breath, he pushes forward into the small, windowless interview room.

From the minute he enters, Camille’s once bored expression fades, her smile reappearing almost instantly. Though she’s cuffed to the table, she acts like she could walk out of the room as she pleases. Her eyes roam over Alec’s figure.

“So _this_ is the cute defense attorney that Magnus is so enthralled with,” she states as Alec sits across from her. “No wonder he’s so infatuated with you.”

Alec rolls his eyes not-so-subtly before he opens the file. “Ms. Belcourt,” he begins, “I’m sure you’re aware of your rights here, as they’ve been read to you before. Have you contacted an attorney?”

“Why?” She questions back. Her dark eyes fall to his chest and then rake back up to his face. The glint in them is mischievous, and it rubs Alec all the wrong ways. “Are you offering?”

_Absolutely not,_ he thinks. “My duty is to close this case, Ms. Belcourt,” he states. “Unfortunately for you, I cannot cover your case when I am trying to piece together this one.”

There’s a fake pout from Camille, but she straightens up her shoulders. “I have nothing to hide from you.”

Alec blinks in surprise at that, considering all the hiding she’s done this far. He looks back down to his files. “According to our search, we found trophies of the 17 murders that Magnus Bane was accused of. Why did you—?”

“You’re just his type, you know?” Camille interrupts. Their eyes meet and she gives a smirk. “It’s true. He’s always liked the tall, dark, and handsome type. Just look at Imasu,” she quips. “The man was practically walking sex.”

“Imasu Morales,” Alec states plainly, flipping over a file. “He was killed on October 7th of last year. He sustained heavy ligature marks around the ankles, wrists, and neck, as well as bruising around the ribcage, clavicle, and zygomatic bones in the skull before being shot at point blank range.” He looks up at Camille. “Now Mr. Morales was killed with a Beretta Model 92, which is law enforcement issued. So, I’m guessing his torture was more up your partner’s alley, wasn’t it?”

She gives an indifferent shrug to him in response. “I never laid a hand on Imasu,” she informs. “But _Magnus,_ oh he always did know how to please a man.”

The comment shoots through him, and he has to put in a grand amount of effort not to let it show how much it truly affects him. He scribbles a few things down a notepad before flipping over another sheet of paper.

“Let’s transition then to Dorothea Rollins,” Alec starts. “She contained heavy doses of handmade poisons in her veins, and was in possession of this necklace.” He takes a photo of the Amor necklace out from his file and places it in front of Camille. “From my understanding, this was your necklace, was it not?”

There’s a slight change in Camille’s expression, so subtle that he almost misses it. As her eyes lock on the necklace, there’s a melancholic glint in her eye. She leans forward, her long lashes pressing against her cheeks as she blinks. “Did you know this ruby is real?” She questions. Her cuffed hands on the table rest against the picture, and one dark nail comes to trace the lines of the gemstone. “Magnus said he had bought it somewhere, but anyone with eyes can see its stolen property.”

Alec goes to retort, saying that she’s evading the question, but she persists.

“He practiced a lot of crime in Peru, you know,” she starts. A slight chuckle escapes her lips as she trails her fingertips over the curved patterns etched into the silver. “Being in the Downworld too, he’s had to get his hands dirty.” Her smile returns, and if Alec didn’t know her personality better, he would’ve thought it was endearing. “He stole it from Paris one year, took it during a transfer. It _was_ supposed to go to a museum, but he risked it all to get it.” She sighs.

“Right,” Alec counters in a disinterested tone. “Let me ask you this, Ms. Belcourt: the poisons in Dorothea Rollins’s body were hand crafted, a complex mixture of ingredients that can kill within an hour.” He looks back up at Camille from his files. “Evidence has come to show that the recipe is also found in your ‘Book of the White’,” he states. “Is that the reason why you were searching for the Book of the White in Mr. Bane’s home? To create more potent poisons?”

Camille’s bored expression returns as she huffs, sliding back in her chair and away from the photo of the necklace. She cocks her head to the side. “Poisons and herbal concoctions are no surprise in the Downworld, _Alexander_ ,” she says. The way she says his full name grinds his gears. It’s meant to be demeaning, he knows, and it reminds him of the way his parents use his name in the same context. “Magnus’ trial proved that he was in full stock of many harmful plants.”

“Plants that also had medicinal qualities,” Alec retorts. He frowns at Camille. “Mr. Bane took great care to ensure that no one was hurt by his medicines and—”

His statement is cut off by her laughter. It’s lighthearted and genuine, like he actually said something funny. “Dearest, if you think ‘Mr. Bane’,” she air quotes, “hasn’t made at least one poison in his life, you’d be mistaken.” She leans forward to the table again, and Alec notices a determined glint in her dark eyes. “He’s killed people too, you know,” Camille adds. “Don’t think that he’s completely innocent. I’m sure you’re aware that he killed his stepfather in cold blood. A man like that…a man like that can’t be trusted.”

“The events that happened with Mr. Bane’s stepfather have been reviewed and it was deemed accidental.” Alec frowns, his brows furrowed. “Now as I was saying—”

“Can one really kill ‘accidentally’?” Camille interrupts. “You can make every excuse possible, but in the end, if a person dies by your hand, there’s that tiny piece of you that convinced you to shoot, to kill them. And Magnus listened to that piece.” Her dark eyes fall down Alec’s figure. “You’re an officer, aren’t you? I’m sure you’re aware of it as well, killing someone.” She pulls forward, resting her chin on her fingers. “You have that gun in your hand, aimed right at their face and every fiber of your being tells you to shoot. And you listen. Every. Single. Time.”

Alec glares daggers at Camille, and her knowing smirk shows that she’s been successful in breaking him down. He tries to quell his anger, his hands that have started to shake in pure, blinding fury. He takes a deep breath before continuing. “I digress, in the time I have taken this case, Mr. Bane has shown nothing but love and support for his people. Not once has he subjected behaviors that you are inferring. Going back to the matter at hand, I—"

“Do you think he really loves you?” She says in disbelief. “Oh Alexander, a man like him isn’t capable of love. You really think he’d retire his life for some goody-two-shoes officer?” She shakes her head. “I’m sorry to say this, but you’re not the first one that’s tried to turn him to the good side. You may have him now, and he may _look_ like he’s going to follow the rules, but right when you get comfortable…” Her dangerous look returns. “He’ll come running back to the Downworld, just begging for trouble all over again.”

“You’re wrong,” Alec whispers. “He’s not like that. You may think you know him, but you don’t. You just strung him along, not caring if he got hurt in the process. All you care about is yourself.”

Camille hums. “It’s cute, you standing up for him. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you two would be cute together. It’s too bad it won’t last.”

The sharp edge of her words cuts into Alec like a knife.

He’s seething in his chair, blunt nails pressing crescents into the palm of his hand.

“Are those cuffs comfortable, Ms. Belcourt? If they are, I’d be happy to tighten them for you,” Alec offers, subdued malic dripping in his words. He looks up from his files at Camille, glaring her down to try and shake her resolve.

Camille gives a forced smile, looking down to her cuffed hands. “I’d love to take you up on that offer, but I really don’t think I’m the one you want to play around with handcuffs with,” she retorts, that same smile stationed on her lips. “I’d imagine that’s more of Magnus’ field, isn’t it?”

Alec frowns, shaking his head and turning back to his files. “Let’s talk about Linette Owens. When you strangled and burned her, why did you degrade her in such a way? She was one of the only victims to be stripped of her clothing. Was it to taunt her husband?”

Camille blinks before she leans forward. “I bet you two have already slept together, haven’t you?” She questions back, ignoring Alec’s questions. Alec doesn’t say anything, instead trying to get back to the details about the case. But Camille is too quick to act. “How is he? Does he moan your name when he’s inside you?”

“ _Stop_ ,” Alec calls in a warning tone, albeit a whisper.

“So you have,” she says in awe. “He’s wonderful in bed, isn’t he?” She leans closer. “The way he moves and flexes as he pounds into you, the moans and sounds he makes as he—"

Alec bursts from his chair, abandoning the files as he quickly turns and storms out from the room. Within an instant, he’s back in the AV room, slamming the door behind him. A concerned Izzy and Luke jump up from their chairs.

“Alec—”

“I can’t _BELIEVE_ her,” he seethes out. His hands are balled up tightly in fists. “I swear to god, I’m gonna—”

“Don’t,” Izzy interrupts, taking a hold of one of Alec’s hands. Her brows furrow together. “She’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”

“Yeah? Well, it’s working!” He yells out. “That…That _bitch_ just runs off her mouth like…like—!” He notices Camille wears a proud smile on the monitored display. He lets out a frustrated grunt, turning away from the screen.

“Alec, she’s only doing this because she knows that there’s no way she’s going to get out of this,” Izzy informs. “With all the evidence we found in her hideaway, there’s nothing even the best lawyer can do to get her out without some count of murder.” Izzy frowns. “She knows she won’t win, Alec. And so she’ll do anything to try and get you to snap. The moment you snap, she wins.”

As Izzy’s words process through his brain, he looks back to Camille, who just purses her lips, a bored expression on her face. He sighs deeply. “You’re right,” he says tersely, looking back to his sister.

“Alec, you know Magnus more than any of us,” Luke starts. “And most likely he’s told you more about Camille than what we know. Use that against her. She’ll know that you’re not going down without a fight.”

Alec smiles at Luke. “Thanks.”

There’s a chime that rings between the three of them, and Izzy glances down to look at her phone. “That’s Jessie. She said the blood test we did on Jason came back.” She looks up to both men. “I’ll go get them and come back with my findings.”

Luke nods, and in an instant, Izzy turns and disappears out of the room. Luke frowns, directing his attention back to Camille.

“If anything happens, or if you want to switch, just say the word.”

Alec nods to him before he turns the doorknob to step out of the AV room. With another deep breath, he walks into Camille’s interview room.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Camille drawls, “Did I hurt your feelings?”

With a newfound feeling towards the interview, Alec sits down silently across from her. He collects the papers he had abandoned prior, closing the file. He rests his arms on the table, hands on top of the now-closed folder. “Honestly? I don’t give a damn what you have to say.”

Camille’s brows furrow as her smile turns down into a frown. “Excuse me?”

“Look here,” Alec says sharply, eyes meeting hers with a newfound determination. “You can try to convince me that you’re better than me. But the thing is, I know you’re not. You abandoned Magnus, broke him down to nothing. You betrayed him, stooping to the level of his murderous, traitorous father and killed those he loved dearly. Through every body that turned up under his arrest, I was the one to console him. When he was in Edom and when he returned, _I_ was the one who was there when he needed me. Now I know that fighting with you about who Magnus is isn’t going to win any battles here. So go ahead and say whatever the fuck you want, Camille. But just know that I’m _through_ trying to play nice.”

Camille’s humored expression leaves her face, and is replaced with disgusted shock. Her upper lip curls upwards in a sneer. “Very well. I guess I’ll stop playing nice as well.” She scoots back in her chair, crossing her legs. “I want a lawyer.”

Alec nods at that, scooting back from his chair and standing. “Good luck with that, Ms. Belcourt. My condolences to the poor sap that has to put up with your bullshit.”

He glances at her just in time to see her jaw drop in disbelief. He gives her a smug smile before turning to walk out the door.

“Well,” he says, sighing as he closes the door to the AV room, “she requested for a lawyer.”

Luke rolls his eyes. “Typical.”

Alec tenses. “You’re not mad about how I talked to her…are you?”

Luke blinks in surprise before looking back at the monitor of her interview room. “Honestly, I’m surprised you held out so long. It was obvious from when I went to sit in that she wasn’t going to tell us anything. Though she didn’t speak to me, she spoke to you.” He looks back to Alec. “She made it directly personal, and hit you where she knows she can get under your skin.”

“Magnus.”

Luke nods. He looks to another monitor to see Jason being cuffed to the table by Raj and Alaric. “Now that we have Camille, I want to interview our so-called ‘Jason’ again to see if he’ll sell her out over anything. These two are working together, but how loyal are they when they realize they’ve both been arrested?”

Alec looks to the monitor, crossing his arms. “Should I do the honors?”

“Let’s wait until your sister comes back with the blood test. Once we have his true identity we can—”

Luke’s statement is cut off when the door to the AV room opens suddenly. Izzy rushes in, still in her lab coat as she slams the door shut. She rushes over to close the blinds and locks the door. Luke and Alec both watch in shock and concern.

“Izzy, what is—?”

Izzy turns to them, practically shoving the file to Luke. “Blood test just came back,” she pants. “That man in there…” she trails, looking to the monitor of Jason, who now sits alone in the room. “That man’s name is Jonathan Morgenstern.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me through this small hiatus! I'm going to try and put more effort into pushing these last two chapters out in a more timely manner (amidst the dreaded job searching RIP). 
> 
> A lot happened in this chapter, and a lot more is to come! 
> 
> See you soon lovelies!  
> as always, come scream and cry with me over on [tumblr!](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/)


	23. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the second killer's identity revealed, things just got a lot more complicated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi lovelies! I’m back with another chapter! This is officially the last chapter before the finale!!! WHOA! This is it guys, we’ve officially in the endgame now. Everything we’ve seen has finally been building up to this, and I’m beyond psyched to give you guys the ending this story deserves!  
> I also happened to do some recent art for this fic as well! It’s Alec in his official BPD uniform! You can find it [over here on my tumblr!](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/post/174131488892/is-it-considered-self-absorbed-to-do-art-for-your) The image featured in this chapter was also edited by me, so :)
> 
> Just a small forewarning, this chapter does contain some graphic depictions of violence (mainly graphic autopsy results from Izzy), so tread carefully with that. Otherwise, enjoy the chapter!

He feels disconnected, out of the loop in a way that reminds him of his childhood. It feels similar to that moment when the other kids talk around you about something you don’t know, like there’s some secret you aren’t in on. It’s isolating and unpleasant.

That’s about what he feels right now as Luke skims over the file Izzy handed him. His eyes widen with each line he reads as his lips move, piecing together words that Alec can’t quite follow.

 

_Are you sure?_

_Positive. He’s a Morgenstern._

 

That name drops again. _Morgenstern_.  The name he fails to recognize like Luke and Izzy do. The secret behind Jason—no—Jonathan’s real name is the bit of information he’s missing.

Alec tries to piece together any known information in his mind. He tries to rationalize why Luke and Izzy would be so antsy, so wound up and anxious about this man. Was he a notorious criminal? Or was he some rich douchebag that would cause a lot of legal trouble? Did he wage war upon the precinct at some point? _No…that wouldn’t be right._ If that were true, Alec’s sure he would’ve heard _something_ from his co-workers about him.

But yet here he is, out of the loop, horrendously unaware of who the hell this Morgenstern man is.

“I need you to go up to the records department and get everything you can on Jonathan. He hasn’t been a ghost long, so let’s try to find something to get ahead of him,” Luke orders. Izzy nods her head, and turns back towards the door. Before she can open it, however, Alec speaks up.

“Wait a minute!” He interrupts. Luke and Izzy stop, both looking to Alec with a startled, yet curious glance. “W-What…” he shakes his head, “Who the hell is Jonathan Morgenstern and why are you two so jumpy about this?”

They both still, and Luke looks at him incredulously. Izzy’s brows furrow.

“Alec…Mom and Dad told you about the Morgenstern name, didn’t they?”

Alec frowns. “We haven’t spoken in a little over four years, Iz,” he states. “And though I had to go through them to get reinstated, there was never anything that came up relating to a _Morgenstern._ ” He frowns. “So forgive me if I’m out of the loop.”

Izzy opens her mouth to retort, but Luke interrupts. “Isabelle, we can’t sit here and wait for that information. I’ll talk to Alec, so please, can you go and get those files?”

She nods to Luke and gives an apologetic glance to Alec before she turns and walks out the door, closing it behind her.

Alec looks to Luke. “You’d think that I would’ve heard of a name that warrants the kind of reaction from you two,” he states with a sharp edge to his words. “If this guy,” he says, gesturing to the monitor, “is really as bad as to pull a reaction like that from you, why haven’t I heard anything of him yet?”

“He’s been off the radar, Alec,” Luke states. “Morgenstern isn’t exactly a popular name by any means, and pretty much any cop in New York could tell you the threat a Morgenstern can possess.”

Alec crosses his arms, frowning. “And yet here I am, defying the odds,” he states grimly. “Cause the way I see it, it looks like I’m the only cop in New York to not get it.”

Luke sighs deeply, nostrils flaring in muted frustration. “There was a time where the New York police force was more corrupt. Things weren’t done by the book at all, and unsanctioned missions were conducted to decimate a certain group of people.”

Alec’s frown deepens, his shoulders slacking. “Downworlders.”

Luke nods. “At the helm of it all was a man with the name of Morgenstern.” He looks to Jonathan’s interrogation room. “The fact that this man has that same last name means that this case just got a lot more personal.”

Alec can’t say he’s exactly satisfied with that answer. It’s cryptic, still laced with things he doesn’t understand. He can tell that Luke knows more than he’s letting on, but there’s also a reason for his hesitance. He looks to the monitor again and sighs. “What should we do then?”

Luke frowns. “I don’t want you to interview him just yet,” he states. “We need to see what the records department has on him for now.” He walks past Alec and opens the door to the hall. He gestures to Alec to follow him. “For now, I need you to write up the report on Camille. She’s going to be sent to the Idris Detention Facility soon, and we need to make sure that report is complete before her transfer.”

“Luke, if this Morgenstern deal is as big as you say it is, should I _really_ be doing paperwork?”

Luke stops before he turns the corner into the main room. He turns to Alec with a dangerous glint in his eyes, muted anger flashing across the dark spheres. “Look, I’m sorry I can’t be up front about this, but there are particular details involving that name that are strictly confidential,” he starts. There’s a darker tone to his voice, one that reminds Alec of when Cleophas was here. “I understand it’s infuriating, but until I get the right connections and the proper permissions, I won’t be able to give you any other information.”

He stands up a bit straighter. “Isabelle will get what we have on Jonathan, and when she has it all, the both of you will comb through it to see if we can find—” He cuts his sentence off short. “But that may take a while, so I need you to complete that file regarding Camille. I want her out of this precinct and into a proper cell as soon as possible. The fact that she’s been in collaboration with a Morgenstern promises nothing good.” Luke looks around the corner towards the main room. “Try to refrain from saying that name in there,” he says. “I don’t want my precinct in panic.”

Alec wants to be mad at Luke, but as Luke talks, Alec can’t lash out at him. He’s trying his best to keep this under control, to not let the subtle panic that flashes across his face momentarily to get the best of him.

He swallows down his pride and anger, nodding curtly at Luke. “I’ll get started on the report then.”

There’s a ghost of a smile from Luke so brief that Alec almost misses it. In an instant, Luke turns back towards the main room, Alec following only a few paces behind. They split apart soon after, with Alec returning to his desk and sitting down in front of his computer to complete the report on Camille. As he sits down, he watches over the top of his monitor as Luke strides towards his office. He shuts the door and paces over towards the phone on the desk, quickly pressing a series of buttons before sandwiching the phone between his head and shoulder.

“Must be some case,” a voice perks up. Alec blinks his attention away from Luke to see Raj silently typing a report of some sort.

“What do you mean?” Alec asks innocently.

Raj shrugs. “I’m just saying, it must be some case if Luke went directly to his office like that.”

Alec wears a confused look. Raj sighs.

“He usually comes around every once in a while to talk to us, see how we’re doing, give us more orders, that kind of thing.” He turns to look over his shoulder towards Luke’s office. Luke sits on the edge of his desk with brows furrowed and a deep frown. “But he just went straight to his office after being with you and your sister in the interview rooms all morning. He hasn’t been around at all to give us any instructions. Besides, if there’s a case that makes him have _that_ kind of expression, you know it’s something big.”

Alec shrugs, looking back to his monitor. He was told not to make a big deal of it, so he tries to downplay Raj’s concern. “He’s stressed about Camille,” he states simply. “He just wants her gone and out of our precinct.”

Raj snorts. “I hear that. I had to escort her back to the holding cell here, and damn is she annoying,” he chuckles. “I’m surprised any of you had the patience to deal with her.”

Alec huffs out a breathy laugh at that. _Well, he’s not wrong._

 

~~~~

 

It’s about an hour of writing up reports and combing through the evidence locker before Izzy comes up to the main office. She’s got a box in her hands, though the side of it is unlabeled. _Most likely to ensure that no one knows they’re investigating a Morgenstern,_ Alec thinks. Izzy spots him almost immediately, striding over to his desk. Her high heels clack against the tiled floor of the precinct.

“Think you can spare a minute to go through this with me?” She asks with a smile.

Alec smiles back at her. “Yeah.” He looks to Raj’s desk, now empty since he’s taking his lunch break. “Let’s go to the board room. Luke doesn’t want us to discuss uh… _you know who_ out in the open.”

Izzy nods in understanding, taking the box to the back of the room and into the board room. Alec follows her silently, closing the door behind them.

“Close the blinds too,” Izzy instructs. “I’m not going to project anything, but I do have some things on my laptop that we need to go over too.”

Alec complies, closing the blinds. The room darkens a bit, no longer lit by the sunlight of the afternoon. The fluorescent lights shine above them.

“So did the records department have anything on Jonathan?” He asks.

Izzy opens the box. “Oh, they definitely had things.” She starts unpackaging the contents of the box, placing down files, photos, and text documents onto the surface of the table. “Luke was right about Jonathan: he hasn’t been a ghost for long, so we have some details about him.”

Alec’s eyes glance over the photos. Most of them are of the house over on Staten Island. “I thought you said this was Jason Morris’ house,” he inquires.

Izzy looks at the pictures. “It was. But after running my autopsy, Jason had been dead for a little over a year. So I’m guessing that for all that time, Jonathan has been posing as him.”

Alec nearly falls right there. “A-A year?!” He exclaims, taking a copy of Izzy’s autopsy file in his hands. Sure enough, her report and the tests she did on the bones recovered from the house show that Jason has been dead for a little over a year. He lets out a shocked breath, falling into one of the cushioned chairs beneath him. He runs a hand through the long strands of his hair.

“Because he’d be posing as Jason for so long, I got the records department to dive into everything regarding Jason. Credit cards, means of travel, everything.” She opens a file and places it in front of Alec. “He’s smart, using credit cards only for the most mundane things. He uses cash for most shady deals. But he did use a credit card once at a hardware store.”

Alec looks down at the collection of items purchased at the hardware store. All of them look rather normal, like someone was going to fix up a kitchen or something. Paint, brushes, some light bulbs and—

He stills.

_Lighter fluid_.

“Then it’s confirmed…Jonathan was the one who tortured Linette Owens,” he says out in the open.

Izzy nods. “That’s what it looks like, yes. There was also a lot of cable wire on Jason’s property. Looking at the diameter of it, it matches the bruising around all of the victim’s wrists and ankles thus far.”

Alec abandons the file from the hardware store and reaches for another set of papers in the box. They’re more photos, mainly from security cameras. There are photos of him in typical places like stores and shops. He shakes his head, knowing they show little significance to their case.

“Oh, I got this as well,” Izzy perks up. Alec looks up from the photos to see Izzy holding a small flash drive in her hands. She carefully plugs it into her laptop, pressing a few buttons. “Records was able to pull some camera feeds based on facial recognition too,” she begins, tapping one of the files. She turns her computer screen around towards Alec.

The video quality is grainy, much like most security feeds are. It’s dark outside, given the minimal lighting. Despite that, he can see a small scuffle in the upper corner of the camera feed. There’s a couple of people towards a back alley, conversing amongst themselves. In a split second, however, Jonathan comes into view, plain as day. He wears all black, the only defining factor is his bright hair against the streetlights. The two conversing jolt, and one runs towards the alley. The other is instantly pulled into a headlock and as soon as it happens, the person goes limp in Jonathan’s arms. His eyes widen as Jonathan drops the body, now lifeless, and runs down the alley off camera.

He blinks, and suddenly a dim flash from the alleyway. When Jonathan emerges, he’s seen settling a gun back into his holster.

Alec swallows thickly.

_He killed them._

“Do you have an idea where this was?”

Izzy nods, bringing a file from the box closer. She opens it. “It was right outside an old warehouse in Kensington. It was a late-night shooting, about 11 p.m.” She looks down to the file. “That was one of the first murders we found, so that was about…March of last year I’d say?”

Alec takes the file from Izzy as she hands it over. His heart aches at the words. Considering it’s about a week from March now, that means that his kills have gone on for about a year. He looks over the file. “They weren’t killed like the others,” he states. “No lacerations, just quick and relatively painless deaths. Even the gunshot was executioner style. With everyone we’ve seen up until now, the deaths have been relatively drawn out. So why the change?”

Izzy shrugs. “Perhaps these deaths were before Camille started taking more control,” she offers. “With two killers, we said that there were some crime scenes that were especially ordered and controlled, while others were messy and unkempt. It could mean that the messier ones were Jonathan’s when he first started killing.”

Alec nods at that. “And there’s a possibility that he could’ve been killing Downworlders before Camille approached him,” he counters. “From what Magnus was able to figure out, she had been killing Downworlders for power. Maybe she saw Jonathan as a means to assist that agenda.”

“It’d be a smart move,” Izzy agrees. She taps another file on her computer, bringing up a different camera. The scenery is strikingly different, as he’s in a busier part of Brooklyn. He walks with purpose before stopping to sit on a bench, admiring the view of the park Alec knows is across the street. He sits there for what seems like forever, and as the minutes tick by, he soon rises from the bench and walks off.

Alec’s brows furrow. _What was that?_ It looked like just…nothing.

“Some of these aren’t particularly anything,” Izzy states, replaying the scene. “I mean, there are some clips that are just him entering and exiting stores but—”

Her voice fades from his mind when he watches Jonathan sit down once more. He watches carefully, noticing the people that pass by. There’s a few people who sit around the bench, not anywhere close. As he leans closer, he can just see the slightest of movement of Jonathan’s lips.

_Is he talking to himself?_

Alec watches as he stands up once more to walk off camera. “Is that the only view you have?” He asks.

Izzy looks surprised by his question, turning her computer back around. “Uh…” She types a few things and clicks a couple of times. “Y-Yeah, they have another camera just down the block.” She turns the computer back around, surveying the area. It shows from a far different angle, and not in the same spot as the bench. He waits a minute before Jonathan appears in the upper right corner, barely in frame. As he walks closer, he stops to watch a street performer on the sidewalk. It’s barely noticeable, but his mouth moves again.

_He's talking again._

_But to who?_

He scoots closer to the screen, expecting that somehow the image might be clearer. It takes a minute for the performer to stop, and everyone claps along with him. Jonathan doesn’t clap though. Instead he throws a bit of change into the hat lying in front of the performer and turns.

That’s when he notices it.

It’s subtle, so much so that he’s surprised he even caught it. As Jonathan turns away, he bumps into someone. He puts a hand on their shoulder in what looks like an apologetic gesture. But it lingers a bit longer than necessary. Jonathan steps away a second after, and when he disappears off frame, Alec can see the person he walked into watch him go.

He pauses the video. “Izzy, can you blow up this picture at all?”

Izzy turns the computer around again, shaking her head lightly. “Not much. It just gets rather grainy.” She turns it back around to show Alec.

“Do you mind if I…?” He trails.

“Go ahead.”

Alec brings the computer closer, maneuvering the window so that it focuses solely on Jonathan. He watches the interaction again, and though it’s awfully grainy, the look Jonathan gives appears almost…endearing.

He pauses the video at the moment when Jonathan bumps into the other person. He can’t enhance it anymore, but at the moment he paused it, it’s apparent that whoever this person is Jonathan bumped into, it’s not some random stranger.

“Izzy,” he says distractedly, waving her over. She rises from her chair, walking over to his side of the table. He points to the screen, specifically to the other figure who stands next to him. “That last clip you showed me, with him on the bench, he was talking to himself. Look.” He brings up the clip again, and Izzy’s eyes stay trained on his figure.

“You’re right…” she trails.

“And look,” he brings up the same clip as before. “He just stands there watching, but look at him. It looks like he’s talking to someone. But there’s no one around except—”

“Except them,” Izzy interrupts, gesturing to the moment Jonathan runs into the other person.

“Exactly,” Alec agrees. “Which leads me to my next question.” He zooms in on Jonathan and the stranger. “Who is that?”

Izzy leans closer, looking to the hazy profile of the person standing close to Jonathan. Their face is hidden expertly from the camera. Her brows furrow. “I’m not sure. Maybe we should ask Luke if—”

The door to the board room suddenly opens and both Izzy and Alec shuffle to cover some of the blatant evidence of their case. Izzy almost slams the cover of her laptop down as the door opens fully to show a young officer standing in the door.

“Officer Lightwood?” He questions, oblivious to the panicked expressions of the siblings.

Alec frowns. “What is it?”

The officer opens his mouth to speak, but his eyes fall to the table to see all the documentation. “I…uh…”

Alec slaps his palm on the table, making the officer’s eyes snap back up to Alec. “Out with it. Is there something you needed?”

“R-Right, s-sorry,” he stammers. He holds up a small sticky note in his hands. “You have a call from an ‘Aline Penhallow’?” He questions, auburn brows threading together. “She’s on line 5.”

Alec frowns, looking at Izzy, who shares the same concerned look. He turns back to the officer and nods. “Right, I’ll be right there.” The officer nods and closes the door to the board room without another word. Alec looks to Izzy. “What do you think she wants? Does she know about Jonathan too?”

Izzy shrugs. “I don’t think Luke called her, but I don’t know for sure.”

Alec frowns again before turning to the landline that hangs on the wall of the board room. He takes it off of the hook, pressing the button for line 5. The dial tone cuts off. “Aline?”

“Alec!” Aline exclaims. She sighs on the other line in relief. “Thank God. I didn’t know if you were going to pick up.”

“Aline, what’s going on?”

There’s a moment of silence before she speaks up again. “Alec, you need to come to Manhattan. Like…right now.”

“What? Why do I—?”

“We got a call,” Aline interrupts. “And they’re all Downworlders.”

Alec’s eyes widen, and he turns to see Izzy looking at him with a troubled expression. He blinks in shock a couple of times before Aline’s voice brings him back into the present. “Uh…yeah, we’ll be there as soon as we can.”

He hangs up the phone and turns to Izzy. Her dark eyes search his face. “Alec?”

“Aline said they just got a call for more Downworlder murders.”

Izzy pales, eyes widening in shock. “Oh my god…” she trails. “I’ll—I’ll go get Luke.”

She rushes past Alec, practically throwing the door open as she rushes to Luke’s office, not even bothering to knock.

As soon as he sees Luke appear from his office, Alec feels a wave of determination flow through his veins. He closes the door to the board room, and with a nod from Luke and Izzy, he goes to grab his badge and gun.

 

~~~~

 

He had always thought it was a strange location for a Chinese restaurant.

The Jade Wolf was tucked away in the docks of Manhattan, and despite its shady exterior, it had the best damn egg rolls on this side of town. He remembers just months prior when he met Aline for the first time in ages here, and she had given them their first real lead into figuring who was really killing Downworlders.

He didn’t think it would have ever been a hub for Downworlders themselves.

Alec ducks under the police tape as he joins Aline. Unlike its usual interior, the booths and tables have been cleared out, cast aside in abandon to the corners of the room. The only other furniture that rests on the floor are the chairs, which are all facing each other and arranged in a circle. Much like the crime scene before, all the victims are tied to the chairs. In the middle of all the carnage lies a large pentagram drawn in the middle. However, what looked like chalk on the last crime scene is absent. The pentagram this time looks as though it’s been made with blood.

“There’s ten of them,” Alec states obviously, looking around at all of the victims. “Do you know what class of Downworlders they are?”

Aline goes to open her mouth, but another voice speaks up before she can.

“They’re all Wolves.”

They all turn to see Maia on the other side of the police tape, frowning at the scene before them. She wears an angry look, which pairs well with her leather jacket, red dress, and combat boots.

“Maia…” Luke trails, turning to her. He walks over to the police tape, lifting it so she can step foot onto the crime scene. She takes a hesitant step forward.

“Maia,” Alec greets. “It’s uh…it’s been awhile, hasn’t it?”

Maia’s lips twitch upward in a ghost of a smile before she diverts her attention back to the circle of victims. “These people are all part of the Wolves,” Maia repeats as she trails forward. Despite the anger in her expression, Alec can see by the way she moves she’s in mourning.

“Did you know any of them?”

Maia stops pacing around the circle, her eyes training on a young man with short dark hair and a tan complexion. She squats down, holding herself in her arms as she meets the face of the young man strapped to the chair. “I knew all of them,” she states quietly. “They’re all part of my pack.”

A heavy tension settles in the air at her words. All ten of these Downworlders, these Wolves, are people she knew.

“How well did you know them?” Luke perks up. His voice carries sadness to it. _Most likely he knew some of these victims too_ , Alec thinks.

Maia’s gaze doesn’t leave the young man. “His name is Bat,” she states grimly. “He was…very special to me,” she breathes out. “A good man.”

Izzy looks at her clipboard. “From the reports, it’s very similar to the group of 5 we found in the beginning of January,” she states. “Jane, the forensic specialist for the Manhattan precinct, and I did an initial analysis of the bodies. It’s the same as before. Each are tied to the chairs and the COD we determined was stabbing. Until we can do a full autopsy report, we can’t determine where exactly it damaged, but our initial prognosis indicates that the insertion point of the knife was at the thoracic vertebra in the middle of the spine at an upward angle, based on the hemorrhaging surrounding the particular stab wound.” She looks up from her clipboard. “And it’s not just Bat,” she adds. “This COD applies to all of them.”

Luke’s brows furrow. “So all of them were stabbed in the same way,” he starts. “What about the other stab wounds?”

“Some of the shallower wounds were inflicted before death,” she begins, walking over to a different body. She gestures to the victim’s bare arms and calves. “These here have more hemorrhaging, and blood flow and smear around the points that were cut show that they were most likely alive when this happened.”

“And the deeper ones?”

“Maybe a couple were executed before death, but honestly?” She shakes her head. “Most of these are post mortem stab wounds.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Just like the 5 bodies in January.”

Izzy nods. “There’s one other thing,” she says, gently pressing her fingertips under the victim’s chin. She pushes the head up slightly, and Alec cringes at the squelching sound that comes from it. He brings his gaze to the floor until she effectively has tipped the head back.

Alec’s breath catches in his lungs.

“They also have a large slit across the front of the neck,” she indicates. “But unlike the last set of murders, these were done maybe…seconds after they were stabbed.”

“So they were still alive?” Aline asks.

“Barely,” she retorts. “But some of them hadn’t bled out completely and thus,” she points to the victim across from her. “This crime scene is a bit messy.”

Alec frowns. “Torturing them, stabbing them through the back, then slitting their throats before they have time to bleed out? That’s overkill if I’ve ever seen it.”

“Extreme overkill,” Izzy adds. “Just like those murders before.”

Aline nods. “Then I’m guessing it’s either Camille or that second killer you guys talked about, right?” She asks, looking to Luke, Izzy, and Alec. Her shoulders slack when she sees their conflicted gazes. “Am I wrong?”

Alec swallows thickly. “Two days ago…we arrested Camille. She’s in holding currently along with—”

“Along with our second killer,” Luke finishes. “We were able to match prints from a Downworlder crime scene to the one from the attacks on Magnus and his home,” he states. “So both of them are in holding back at our precinct.”

Aline’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Izzy…do they…do they have the mark?”

Izzy gives a crestfallen look. “Yes. Everything is the same. From the excessive overkill to the marks on their necks,” she squeezes her eyes shut. “They’re all the same.”

Aline brings a hand over her mouth. “So that means we don’t have two killers…”

“We have three,” Alec finishes.

It’s that statement that hangs in the air the most. It’s a thick tension, with anxiousness bubbling underneath.

Maia looks to her deceased packmates. “Do you have any idea who the third killer could be?”

Her question makes everyone direct their gaze at Luke. Izzy seems to understand, ducking her head slightly at the question. But Alec, Aline, and Maia don’t know what possible connection could be made. The only thing Alec knows is—

_Morgenstern._

Somehow, that name pulls at him, picking at his brain. He looks to Luke, who brings a hand across his face.

“Luke?”

Luke frowns, scratching the bottom of his jaw where his dark facial hair condenses. He lets out a long sigh. “I have my theories. But…I can’t say anything. Not now.” He takes out his phone from his pocket. “I need to make a call.”

He turns away from them, ducking under the police tape and dialing his phone.

Alec, Aline, Izzy, and Maia all go silent. Alec’s brain swirls with theories, thinking how the hell _Morgenstern_ could be tied in with this. He looks to the bodies and the pentagram in front of them and frowns.

_There’s a connection here._

He just isn’t sure what connection that is.

 

~~~~

 

Luke comes in not 10 minutes later.

But to their surprise, he’s not alone.

As Luke walks back in and ducks under the police tape, Alec finally is able to meet the figure of the woman accompanying him. She’s a relatively tall woman with long, dark red hair restrained back in a ponytail. She wears a plain black pantsuit with the buttons of her white dress shirt buttoned all the way up to her collarbones. She looks professional and—

And with one flash of her badge to get across the police tape, he knows it’s about to get far more difficult.

“Luke, you called the feds?”

Luke looks back to see the woman coming closer. “No,” he starts, giving the woman a ghost of a smile. “I called _a_ fed.” The woman’s heels clack against the hard floor until she finds herself stationed at Luke’s side. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Special Agent Fray.”

Special Agent Fray gives a smile and a curt nod. “Nice to meet everyone. Feel free to call me Jocelyn.” She notices the slight apprehension from the rest of the group, so she holds up a hand innocently. “Relax. I’m not here to take over your crime scene,” she assures. “Luke called me to see if this crime scene,” she gestures accordingly, “is indeed the work of who he thinks it is.”

Alec looks to her curiously. “And who would that be?”

Jocelyn straightens a bit as her gaze falters to Maia. “I do not wish for the Downworld to wage war against us. Nor do I want the Downworld to panic.”

Maia crosses her arms, brows furrowed. “I think it’s a little too late for that, Ms. Federal Agent,” she bites back.

Jocelyn doesn’t snap back at the remark. Instead she nods softly, looking at Luke.

Luke takes a deep breath. “As of this morning, the blood test results on our second killer came back.” He gulps. “His name is Jonathan Morgenstern.”

The name makes both Aline and Maia go rigid. _So they know about the Morgenstern name too,_ Alec observes. He watches as Maia’s expression falters, looking back to her deceased packmates. Her lower lip trembles against her angry expression.

“Maia—”

“I need to get back to my pack,” she snaps. She lifts her angry gaze to Luke. “If what you say is true, then my people are in a lot more danger than we thought.” She goes to walk out the door, but Luke stops her.

“Maia, wait.”

“Let me go, Luke!” She says, voice cracking in both rage and sorrow. There’s conflicting emotions across her face. “I trusted you,” she starts, her words searing. “You knew all of them, all these people just like I did. And now look. Because you withheld information, because you kept your theories to yourself, Bat and Gretel and all the others are all dead!” She pushes Luke away from her. “I have to go tell my pack that 10 of their packmates died. I have to tell them that because of your incompetence, my people have to go into hiding.”

“Maia, please—”

“No, Luke. I’m done,” she seethes. Her frown deepens. “You promised me you’d protect them, and you didn’t. And now my people are paying the price. So now, it’s my job as a leader to protect my people. An Alpha protects their own.” She steps away, shaking her head as she looks to everyone. “Cause I know damn well the police won’t.”

“Maia!”

Without another word, she turns and storms out of the Jade Wolf, the door slamming behind her.

Luke’s head falls in defeat as he sighs. The tension in the air is still thick, both from the weight of realizing the presence of a third accomplice and Maia’s outburst. There’s a brief moment of silence before Jocelyn breaks it, walking over to Luke. Her hand brushes across his shoulder blades and back, the other finding one of the hands stationed as his side. Her gaze is sad, but the gesture is comforting.

Alec wonders if there’s a connection between them besides work.

Luke mouths a silent thank you to Jocelyn, and she squeezes his shoulder gently.

“So now what?” Alec questions, turning back to the crime scene. “If we have any leads on who our third killer is, then we need to—”

“Alec,” Izzy interrupts him, stepping forward. “We already know who it is.”

Alec stops, his gaze tearing away from the bodies to look at his fellow officers. Sure enough, Jocelyn, Luke, Aline and Izzy all wear knowing looks.

Just like before, he’s been cast out.

Alec’s brows furrow together as he frowns. “Let me guess, this has to do with the _Morgenstern_ name, doesn’t it?” He asks, tone carrying an obvious sign of aggravation. “I’m sorry but I’ve had it with being out of the loop. Just what did Jonathan Morgenstern do that warrants this kind of knowing reaction?”

Interestingly enough, it’s Jocelyn who speaks up first.

“I’m sorry we haven’t been able to fill you in on anything, Mr. Lightwood,” she apologizes. “But the details regarding who our culprit is are classified. Only people who know of the case or have had interactions with him personally know about the significance.” She gives a serious look to Alec, straightening her posture slightly. “I cannot say much here, as I don’t want to induce panic in your fellow officers, but this isn’t about what Jonathan has done, Mr. Lightwood. It’s what his father’s done.”

“His father…? Who—?”

“Valentine Morgenstern,” Izzy finishes. “He’s a very, very dangerous man.”

Alec looks back to the ten victims behind him. “If that’s the case…” he trails, looking down at the bloody pentagram, “I want to know everything there is to know about this man,” Alec says. “He’s not going to slip through our fingers again.”

 

~~~~

 

Magnus is curled up on one of the couches when Alec comes home.

Night has fallen, and the dim glow of the city lights flicker against the large windows across the way. The lamp beside Magnus is on, casting a soft yellow light against the cool tones around him.

Magnus sits on the couch silently with his legs drawn up on the cushions, cozying up under Alec’s soft quilted blanket from his grandmother. He nurses a glass of wine and silently reads the book that rests in his lap. His fingers graze against the edges of the pages slightly.

“Honey, I’m home,” Alec teases with a smile as he steps into the living room. He lies his dark overcoat over the back of the uninhabited couch and slides out of his boots as he looks up to Magnus, who glances up from his book with an endearing smile. Alec strolls over to him, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to Magnus’ lips. “How was your day?”

Magnus hums in appreciation over the sweet kiss. Alec can see the corners of his lips twitch down slightly before the smile returns. “It was great,” he replies a little too hesitantly.

Alec’s gaze falters, falling to the book in Magnus’ lap.

“Oof,” he huffs out. “That bad, huh?”

Magnus looks up at him questioningly, those dark brows furrowing together.

Alec nods to the book in his lap. “You’re reading Hemingway,” he states plainly. “You only ever read Hemingway when you’re stressed.”

The amused glint returns to Magnus’ eye, whatever hesitation in his thoughts fading for a moment. “Are you profiling me, _officer_?” He teases, taking a sip of his wine.

Alec chuckles, shaking his head lightly before pressing another deeper kiss to Magnus’ lips. He can taste the wine and the sinful, addicting taste of Magnus, and it makes his head spin a bit.

“ _That’s not an answer_ ,” Magnus whispers against his lips in between kisses.

He chuckles once more, pressing one last kiss to Magnus’ lips before pulling away. “I know what you’re trying to do,” he says, standing up fully once more. “And it’s not going to work.”

Magnus leans forward, abandoning his wine glass on the side table. His hands slide up the outside of Alec’s thighs gently, sending a pleasant shiver through Alec until Magnus’ hands station themselves at his hipbones. With a smirk, he leans forward, his thumbs hooking under the material of Alec’s dark crew neck shirt, and presses an open-mouthed kiss to the skin between his navel and the waistband of his pants. Alec chokes back a moan.

“ _Are you sure about that?_ ”

“ _Magnus_ ,” he starts, though it comes out as more of a whine. With as much determination as he can muster, he steps out of Magnus’ touch, a serious expression battling the heat now present on his face. “You’re not going to distract me with sex.”

Magnus pouts, leaning back as his hands brush against the hem of his shirt, revealing the golden expanse of skin underneath. “Are you saying you don’t want to?”

Alec gives him an unimpressed look. “There really is no winning with you.”

Magnus shrugs at that, and Alec turns with a harmless scoff. As he turns, he can see Magnus’ teasing expression falter, the corners of his lips tilting down.

“Alec, wait.”

He stops, taking a second before turning back to Magnus. To his surprise, Magnus’ front has collapsed completely. His eyes have lost their humorous glow, replaced with an expression of uncertainty he’s seen many times before. His posture has become more closed-off, more insecure as he folds in on himself, curling his legs closer to his chest. His eyes falter from Alec’s, falling to the tops of his knees instead. In that moment, Alec can see the familiar furrow of his eyebrows, that one indicator that Magnus is hesitant to say something.

“Magnus?”

Magnus doesn’t respond immediately, and there’s a minute of silence as Alec watches the gears turn in his boyfriend’s brain. Eventually Magnus looks over to the couch, where the book of Hemingway’s writings lies open. He sighs deeply. “I ran into Maia today.”

Alec goes rigid at that, and he’s sure that Magnus notices. Nevertheless, he continues.

“I wanted to get out for a bit,” he starts. “I know the goal of moving here was to keep me out of Brooklyn for my safety, but staying here all day feels like I’m back on house arrest.” He flips the page of his book. “So I went out, just to go to the park a block over and read. Not long after, Maia turned up. She was just as surprised to see me there as I was to see her.”

Alec blinks, gaze faltering to his socked feet. “And…how was she?”

“Frazzled,” he states simply. “Stressed.”

“She told you about the murders, didn’t she?”

Magnus nods. “She also told me about Valentine,” he adds.

Alec’s head snaps up at that, and he’s suddenly faced with Magnus’ conflicted expression. “I was going to tell you.”

“When?” He asks breathlessly. “When were you going to tell me?”

“I only found out today, Magnus,” Alec counters. “And to be quite honest, I still don’t understand all of it.” He realizes that his voice grows a bit louder with each word. “I’ve been left out of the loop from the minute the blood test results came back this morning. I had no idea what the significance of the _Morgenstern_ name was, and the only assumptions I could make were from the reactions of everyone around me. So I’m sorry,” he apologizes. “I wasn’t able to tell you immediately only because I didn’t know a goddamn thing myself!”

The statement comes out pointed and harsh, like the blade of a knife. There’s a thick tension that separates them, the few feet between them suddenly feeling like miles. Magnus doesn’t look at him, instead frowning back down on his book, closing the cover. The frowns deepens, and after a minute of thick, bruising silence, he speaks up tentatively.

“Ten people died today by the hands of that man,” Magnus starts. “And more have died in the past year than any other time since the Downworld came to fruition. Valentine has instilled fear in the Downworld for years, always lurking right under our noses. The Downworld has been in panic over this man, and it’s caused them to unravel. I’ve seen it firsthand, and with the betrayal of Camille and my trial, it’s only getting worse.” He rises from the couch, discarding the blanket across the back. “Talking with Maia today, I realized that I can’t run away from this any longer. I can’t let my fear take a hold of me. For that reason, I’m going to go back to the Downworld.”

There’s no uncertainty in Magnus’ voice as he says those last words. There’s no question in his tone, no part of him looking for Alec’s approval. This decision is his in its entirety, and Alec can see the determination shining through his eyes and through his posture.

He opens his mouth to retort, but a familiar thought stops him.

 

_You may have him now, and he may look like he’s going to follow the rules, but right when you get comfortable…he’ll come running back to the Downworld, just begging for trouble all over again_.

 

He tries to shake the thought, tries to convince himself that they’re Camille’s words, that he shouldn’t trust them. But hearing Magnus, hearing that determination despite everything…

_She was right._

“I can’t believe it…” Alec huffs out grimly, shaking his head slightly. His gaze drops from Magnus’.

_He can’t do this._

_How could he have been so stupid? So blind?_

“Alexander?” Magnus’ voice calls out. But Alec doesn’t respond, turning away from him instead. He goes to walk away, but he’s stopped by Magnus’ touch around his arm. It’s not forceful or full of spite. Instead, it’s gentle, something that contrasts against the harsh air of their conversation. “Alexander, what is it?”

Alec doesn’t turn around. “Just when you’ve gotten yourself out of this, just when I thought you were past everything that happened, you still want to go back.” His voice is gravelly, low and rumbling with both spite and sadness. He’s hurting, so very badly. “Camille was right about you after all.”

There’s a gasp behind him, broken and shuddering. There’s a shaking to Magnus’ fingers as they press against the fabric of Alec’s shirt. It’s a sharp sound that cuts into Alec far deeper than any blade, and it shatters him. He squeezes his eyes shut and tears his arm out of Magnus’ grasp.

_He can’t do this._

He strides over towards the front door, slipping on some old shoes that rest by the entryway. He has to leave, has to clear his head because _he can’t do this right now._ He can’t sit here and mourn over the fact that Camille was right, and he was stupid and—

His hand secures around the doorknob.

“Alexander, _please_ …” Magnus pleads, his voice shaking. “Don’t do this. Don’t go.”

Alec can hear his bare feet pad across the dark hard wood floors. He’s frozen in place with his hand secured around the doorknob. He wants to flee, wants to run, but Magnus’ voice stops him. His heart breaks at its shaking, and the silence becomes too deafening before Magnus’ cautious touch brushes against his back.

“Please…talk to me,” he whispers out, forehead resting against Alec’s back. “What did she say to you? Did she say something about the Downworld? About me?”

He tries so hard to fight the instinct to turn around. He feels like he’s being pulled in two directions, wanting to say _fuck it_ and just walk out the door but also wanting to turn back to Magnus and just apologize. He sounds so broken, so confused, and Alec can’t help but think that _he did that._ He was the one who said that Camille—the woman who betrayed Magnus and broke his heart, convinced him that he was nothing—was right.

_How could he be so stupid?_

With a deep breath, Alec’s grip lifts from the doorknob. He turns slowly, and Magnus steps back to watch the action.

The second their eyes meet, Alec’s heart breaks once more.

Magnus wears a look as though he is slowly dying. There’s fear and anxiousness in his features, a muted sense of anger—whether at him or Camille, he isn’t sure—and something Alec can’t quite place. He can’t look away from Magnus, not now. Not after seeing him like this.

Alec lets out a breath, closing his eyes. The weight of his shoulders tugs them down and he struggles to string the words together. “She…during the interview, she told me that you’ve…people have tried to take you from the Downworld but in the end, you just wind up going back because—” Alec words die in his throat as he shakes his head. “It’s stupid. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Magnus comes forward, and his hands find Alec’s cradling them close. He squeezes them gently. “Alexander, you can _never_ trust what Camille says,” he starts. “I’m not going back to the Downworld because I miss the lifestyle.” He looks down at their joined hands, brushing his thumb against the back of Alec’s hand. “Like I said, these recent killings, Camille’s arrest, and the aftermath of my trial has the Downworld on the brink of collapse. My return to the Downworld is an effort to restore a bit of order to the chaos.” He frowns. “The people of the Downworld are my family, Alexander. I can’t abandon them when they need me most.”

Alec sighs, looking down to their hands. “I know,” he whispers out. “I’m just scared,” he confesses. “Valentine is targeting Downworlders, and if you go back I—” He shakes his head. “I can’t bear the thought of you getting hurt.”

“I won’t,” Magnus assures. He takes his hands away from Alec’s, lifting them up to cradle Alec’s face. His touch is gentle and comforting, and Alec sighs into it. “You won’t lose me to the Downworld or to Valentine. Not now, not ever.” He smiles up at Alec warmly. “Whether I’m in the Downworld or not, I’ll still be yours. I’m not going anywhere.”

 Alec’s eyes flutter closed, taking in a deep breath as he angles his head slightly to kiss the inside of Magnus’ hand. It’s deeply intimate, the tension once in the air fizzling out of their bones. He feels the warmth of Magnus’ gaze, of his body that thrums against his. He feels the pull of his heart, the aching emotions that pour into his veins. He goes to press another kiss to Magnus’ hands, and Magnus responds by wrapping his other hand around the back of his neck, pulling him close.

The kiss they share is so deeply passionate despite the chastity of the action.

Magnus pulls away a moment later, though it’s not far. Alec can feel his lips brush against his as he speaks those three words that makes his heart swell with feeling.

“ _I love you,_ ” Magnus whispers.

Alec pulls him in for another deep, meaningful kiss before repeating the words back to him.

With shared confessions and gentle, promising kisses, all his worries melt away. 

 

~~~~

 

By the next afternoon, an APB has been issued for Valentine Morgenstern across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. The secrecy behind their case has disappeared completely, and now the entire precinct is on high alert in regards to any activity involving the Morgensterns.

To Alec’s surprise, Jocelyn is here again, though no one in the precinct seems to be in panic that a federal agent is stepping in to a part of their investigation. Apparently while he’s been doing more investigative work with Izzy down in the morgue, Jocelyn has been interviewing Jonathan. He isn’t aware of that fact until he stumbles upon Luke in the AV room.

“Oh,” Alec says in surprise as he opens the door. “I thought Alaric was joking when he said you were in the AV room.” He closes the door behind him and walks over to Luke, handing over the cream-colored folder he carries in. “Izzy completed some of her autopsy findings for half of the ten victims we found today.”

Luke takes the folder, opening its contents. “It seems that the poison wasn’t just Camille’s doing after all,” he states.

Alec looks up to the monitors to see Jocelyn interrogating Jonathan. “What is she interrogating him about?”

Luke gestures for Alec to sit down. “Jocelyn has the most information on the Morgensterns,” he states. “More than we ever would find on them. If anyone can get information out of him, it would be her.”

“So what, is she trying to find out where Valentine is?”

Luke nods. “That, or trying to create a rift in his loyalty to his father,” he muses. “If she can manipulate him into thinking that Valentine betrayed him, maybe he’ll give up the information about Valentine’s hideout.”

Alec nods at that, turning back towards the monitor silently as they watch Jocelyn do her thing.

It’s interesting to watch her work, Alec thinks. She interrogates with purpose and meaning, and she’s practically devoid of any attachment towards the case despite her association with Valentine. She states facts plainly, bringing up points and topics that Alec doesn’t really understand. There’s not much response from Jonathan at all, but as time passes, he’s surprised to hear Jonathan speak up.

“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but unfortunately I don’t know what he has planned or where he is,” Jonathan responds coldly. “I was given a task, and I stuck to it. It’s what he would have wanted.”

Unfortunately, it’s an answer that no one wanted to hear. But it doesn’t affect Jocelyn in the slightest. Instead she nods, thanking him for letter her talk to him before she gathers up her files and leaves.

“Well that was…unexpected,” Alec finally says, breaking the silence between him and Luke.

Luke hums. “Not entirely. But it was worth a shot,” he states. The door to the AV room opens and Jocelyn stands there with a smile.

“Oh, Mr. Lightwood!” She says surprisingly. “I see you’re back from the morgue.” Alec nods to her. “Did you find anything?”

Luke nods to her, handing the file over to her. She looks over it briefly, dark green eyes skimming over the pages and nodding in approval at some things before closing the file and looking back up at the two men. “Very well,” she states. “I believe this will be enough.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

“I wanted to get an autopsy file of these bodies we found today,” she starts, “to make sure that this is indeed Valentine himself and not one of his copycat followers.” She looks to Luke. “If it’s available, I’d like to use your board room to get Mr. Lightwood here up to speed and make sure we’ve addressed any questions you all may have.”

Luke rises from his chair. “Yes, right this way,” he gestures. “Alec, if you could ring Isabelle as well. She’d want to be in on this.”

Alec nods, rising from his seat and following them out into the main office. He goes over to his desk, pressing a few buttons to phone Izzy.

_Finally,_ he thinks, _we’re finally going to get answers._

 

~~~~

 

It takes very little time for them to actually set up the board room.

It’s only Luke, Alec, and Izzy, however, who are gathered there. Though the entire precinct is on watch for Valentine’s activity, since it’s not their case, they aren’t allowed in on the debriefing. So here they are, in front of the projector screen once more. Jocelyn closes the blinds before circling around the table and clicking a few keys on her computer.

Once the main screen shows, she circles back to the table, placing a hard copy of various files of different cases and information on the table. Alec reaches for one, opening it and examining its contents.

It’s then when Jocelyn begins.

“Valentine Morgenstern was a famous war hero who served our country proudly. I met Valentine back in basic training. At the time, he was devoted, loyal, and a good soldier who stuck to orders.” She presses a few buttons on a remote programmed to her computer, which displays a few different pictures of Valentine, specifically his pictures in the army and during battles. “Once he enlisted in the Army, he was assigned to a special task force with 5 other operatives whose jobs were to infiltrate foreign threats and eliminate them from the inside out. We specifically targeted extremist groups and cults, anything that posed an immediate threat to our fight.”

She clicks forward.

“He served in both Vietnam and Iran, taking down the biggest occult groups our team was faced with. His bravery and honor even won him the Purple Heart.” Jocelyn’s brows furrow as she clicks to the next slide. A photo of Valentine appears as he stands shaking Director Aldertree’s hand and an image of him in a NYPD uniform.

“When he returned, he was still as devoted as ever, joining the Manhattan police force as a way to keep our country safe. However, as he began his service here, he was convinced that a new cult was emerging, and that it was a threat to our society.”

“The Downworld,” Alec states grimly. Jocelyn nods, clicking to the next slide.

“As you can imagine, things got out of hand quickly. He started to assign officers to arrest and violently engage with Downworlders with no justifiable reason. When it came to the point that the other officers refused to follow orders, he took matters into his own hands.”

Silently, she presses a button on the remote, and a video begins to play. On camera, it’s a normal building somewhere in Manhattan. It looks somewhat abandoned, like most of the warehouses Alec has seen before. It’s quiet, and Alec’s eyes roam over the screen, searching for a familiar scene. Suddenly, a large blast lights up the screen. The explosion sends up a large plume of smoke as it blasts the building to smithereens. The shock of the sudden action makes everyone except Jocelyn jolt.

She clicks the next button.

“That building was reported to have substantial Downworlder activity,” she states. “But what we didn’t know at the time was that this building was the equivalent of the hospital for the Downworld. The sick and injured, as well as new mothers and their newborns were among the many who were killed in this attack.”

As she explains, the video continues, and its graphic nature shows the bits of concrete and rubble that lie across the ground. There’s a large cloud of dust that permeates the air due to the blast. There’s screaming and crying; fires and chaos.

It’s a war zone.

The camera pans to an image of a dead child buried underneath the rubble, the blood and dust on the child’s hand a clear indication of the pain that had been inflicted. To his right, he can hear Izzy’s muffled sobs. His heart aches.

“Because of his actions, Valentine was discharged from the Manhattan precinct, and was excommunicated from ever serving in the military again. When we came to arrest him, he had fled and has stayed out of sight since.”

There’s a long pause of silence as everyone takes in her information. Alec leans forward, looking through more of the file details. “And what about the mark we found? Does that pertain to this at all?”

Jocelyn nods. “The mark engraved on the back of the victims’ necks is this.” She presses another button and the familiar diamond-shaped mark displays on the screen. “This symbol was used for what was entitled ‘Project Angel’, the title of the assignment Valentine received overseas.” She turns towards the monitor. “With each kill, he carved this symbol into the back of their necks in order to show the lives taken under Project Angel.”

“So then this is the reason my files were being changed?” Izzy inquires. “Because of the mark’s significance?”

“Jonathan was put in place to ensure that what Valentine was doing stayed under our radar,” she states. “The mark is in our federal database, so if you had uploaded a picture to your server, we would’ve located it immediately. Which is why Jonathan was put in place, so that your official reports wouldn’t set off our alarms.”

Izzy nods in understanding. “What about the poison concoction? Would that have been in your database?”

Jocelyn shakes her head. “The poison in the bodies you’ve found up until this point is homemade, whereas the poisons he used on federal missions were known and we had the recipes for them.”

“But we do have the recipe for this one,” Alec interjects, leaning forward and glancing up from his file. “It’s in the Book of the White.”

Jocelyn gives a questionable look.

“It’s a book that belongs to the Downworld,” Luke informs. “Magnus Bane held possession of it recently, but his prior affiliation with Camille Belcourt allowed her to learn some of its more…deadly contents.”

“And that’s in your reports, I assume?”

Izzy nods.

There’s another moment of silence, of Alec checking over the various files Jocelyn supplied before a question pops into his mind. “How is he able to do it?” He asks, looking back up to Jocelyn. “I know he was an elite member of the military, but still, how could one man capture ten people, tie them up, and not be overpowered?”

“Because he’s not alone,” Luke speaks up, folding his arms together as he leans back in his chair.

“So you mean to say we have _more_ killers?” Alec almost whines.

Jocelyn shakes her head. “No. They are more of followers,” she states. “Valentine was a war hero, praised for his efforts on and off the field of duty. When he launched his attacks against the Downworld, there were some people—officers included—who approved of his actions, thought they were just. So when Valentine went into hiding, so did they.”

“And thus, it makes it possible for Valentine to kill the number of people he does,” Luke adds.

“They’re known as ‘Circle’ members,” Jocelyn says, handing another file that corresponds to the information of the Circle to Alec. Sure enough, there are personal files on a few known members and some of their crimes, histories, families, ex cetera. “The Circle was the title they gave themselves. Circles represent many things, such as unity, completeness, and perfection. They see themselves as the solution, the answer towards peace.” She crosses her arms. “But like any other cultist group, if their leader falls, they will fall too.”

“Then it’s our job to find Valentine and put an end to all of this,” Alec deduces.

Luke nods, rising from his chair. “Exactly. Consider that the amount of bodies we’ve been seeing is increasing, Valentine is most likely nearing his endgame, which means we need to move quickly so more people don’t get hurt.” He looks up from the table. “Isabelle, continue with your autopsy reports on the other victims. I want all your results as soon as possible. I’ll get the records department upstairs to look into the victims lives, see where they’re from, any obvious Downworld interactions, and so on.”

He looks to Alec. “As for you, Alec, I want you to work with Jocelyn to try and make strides as to where Valentine may hit next. We need to be one step ahead of him, not behind. I’ll start working on a geographic profile of all the bodies we’ve found here, as well as the bodies Officer Penhallow discovered in Manhattan.”

Everyone nods in agreement at his instructions. With determination flaring in his eyes, he pats his hand against the top of the table twice. “Let’s track this son of a bitch down.”

 

~~~~

 

He likes working with Jocelyn, interestingly enough.

He’ll admit he was wary of her in the beginning, but working with her one on one, it’s different than the interactions with the other federal agents he’s had the pleasure of meeting. Because of her affiliation with Valentine in basic training, as well as overseeing his missions from his days of active duty, she seems to know Valentine’s personality traits very well.

When he asked how they were so close in the past, Jocelyn said they had bonded over many things like their family views and their love to serve their country.

“Was it difficult to accept that Valentine came back and started committing crimes?” He asks as Jocelyn scribbles down some notes from their back-and-forth conversations.

She doesn’t look up from her writing as she answers. “No. You could tell the moment he came back from Iran that something was wrong. He had tried to pull me in, tried to get me to betray my country, but I wouldn’t. He almost killed me because of it.”

That earns a wide-eyed look from Alec.

Wordlessly, she places down the pen, sliding back in her chair and shrugging out of her navy blazer. She unbuttons the first two buttons of her crisp white dress shirt, tugging it slightly to her left side to show a cream-colored scar no more than an inch in width just under her collarbone.

“He shot you?”

Jocelyn nods, rebuttoning her shirt. “It was a miracle I survived,” she begins. “I dodged just enough that the bullet was a millimeter from grazing an artery. He was about to shoot again, but thanks to my husband’s quick wit, he was able to save me from bleeding out and drive Valentine off.” She looks up to see Alec’s confused expression. She chuckles. “Oh, yes, I guess he forgot to tell you. Luke is my husband.”

Alec blinks in surprise.

_Oh._

_Well, that explains a few things._

It’s funny almost, he thinks, how similar the story sounds. He chuckles unbelievably. “I guess I can relate to that,” he starts, pressing his hand to his left side. “Jonathan shot me in late January when he attempted to blow Magnus’ house to smithereens.”

Jocelyn wears her own wide-eyed look before she adds that to her notes. “It seems he really does follow in his father’s footsteps after all,” she mutters.

There’s a bit of silence as they dwell on their shared experiences. After a moment, Alec glances up from Jocelyn’s notepad. “So now that we’ve talked background, what do you think Valentine’s next move would be?”

Jocelyn’s brows furrow as she looks at the table to where her pile of old case files lay. “Valentine’s missions were always to eradicate and annihilate,” she starts. “He’s trying to do that with the Downworld, so my guess is that he’s going to target a bigger group of people than what we’ve seen thus far.” She pulls a file forward, opening it and thumbing through a few of the papers. “From what your reports say, and the statements collected of other Downworlders, it seems as though the Werewolf and Vampire subgroups are especially vulnerable. I’d say my best guess would be that Valentine seeks to wipe out a group entirely, and one of those two would be the main target.”

Alec nods, writing down his own set of notes. “I’ll contact Raphael to keep a lookout for any shady activity,” he states. “Maia is already doing things in the Werewolf group to protect the rest of her pack, and I have faith that she won’t do anything too brash.”

Jocelyn responds with a hum of agreement, and they continue to dive further into possible leads and motivations. Alec asks a few more questions, spitballing with Jocelyn until the afternoon gets away from them. All too soon, they’re packing up for the day.

“Jocelyn?”

“Hm?”

“Does it ever get easier?” He questions. “Knowing that all these people are dying because of someone so close to you?”

Jocelyn sighs, gathering her files together from the table and slipping them into her carry-on bag. “It does. It gets easier, but it’s never _easy._ ” Her brows furrow together. “ _Easy_ means that it’s not difficult to get over the feelings, to simply brush them up and sweep them under the rug. But it’s never that.” She looks up at Alec, a soft look of muted endearment crossing her features. “Is this because you’re concerned for Mr. Bane?”

Alec’s head snaps up. “H-How did you—?”

“He means a lot to you,” she starts. “And I’ve read the reports. Don’t forget that my husband knew Magnus for a long while, including his relationship with Camille Belcourt.” She offers Alec a smile. “It won’t ever stop hurting, but after a while, it becomes easier to deal with the guilt and grief. You learn how to accept it, and not let it define you as you go on with your life.”

Alec nods at that, shrugging on his heavy overcoat. “Thank you, Jocelyn. For everything.”

Jocelyn gives him another warm smile, one that reminds him all too much of the ones his mother gave him as a child. “Happy to serve, Mr. Lightwood. Have a good night.”

 

~~~~

 

The potstickers from the Chinese place two blocks down from Alec’s apartment are unparalleled to anything he’s had elsewhere.

It’s wonderfully domestic, the two of them eating dinner together after a long day. They’re both absolutely exhausted, opting to sit and eat potstickers on the couch, huddled under comfy quilted blankets and watching old movies on Alec’s DVR. Magnus has changed out of his fancier clothes and settles into a simple dark t-shirt and sweats. He’s taken off his makeup too, and it warms Alec’s heart a bit to know this side of Magnus, who is comfortable enough to relax around him like this.

“Are you going to finish those?” Magnus asks, pulling Alec out of his thoughts. Magnus looks at him expectantly, chopsticks poised towards Alec’s potstickers.

Alec offers the container to Magnus. “Don’t take all of them, I still want a couple,” he states. Magnus’ eyes gleam as his chopsticks grasp a potsticker, bringing it to his mouth. He moans gratefully at the taste.

“I’ve had homemade potstickers before, but they don’t even compare to these,” he states as he savors the taste. “You truly know the best way to end a long day.”

Alec takes a sip of water from his glass. A sudden curiosity piques his interest. “So I take it your meeting with the Warlock community went okay?”

“More than okay actually, which is…surprising,” he trails, brows furrowing at the memory. “I expected some resistance, like at least some grudges over my absence of the years, or some distrust after what happened in regards to my arrest and trial, but there was hardly any.” He leans forward, placing his plate of potstickers down on the coffee table. He turns back towards Alec. “It was strange. They were almost… _elated_ to see me.”

Alec’s eyes widen. “Really?”

Magnus nods, looking towards the TV. “Really. Apparently, word has been drifting around the Downworld of what happened after my case. Raphael told the Warlocks how I helped capture Camille, and the amount of acceptance I got from them…” He shakes his head. “I almost can’t believe it.”

“Camille was pressuring the Warlocks, wasn’t she?” Alec asks. “I remember Maia saying that Camille had tried to make moves on the Warlock community to merge the Vampires and Warlocks together.”

Magnus nods at his statement. “Yeah. She was pressuring Lorenzo, the man who stepped into my position when I left, but he wouldn’t relent.” His lips twitch up in a smile. “A stubborn fellow at times, I suppose, but he handled the situation well, putting the thoughts of his people first.”

Alec hums at that. “So then it’s official: you’re a part of the Warlock community again?”

There’s a stiffens that suddenly stills Magnus’ frame. His shoulders lock and he doesn’t turn to face Alec.

“Magnus?”

He leans forward, shifting closer to Magnus. He reaches out gently, pressing his fingertips softly against the material that covers the wide expanse of Magnus’ back.

Magnus blinks of whatever thoughts he had been swimming in. His fingers dance across the stitching of the quilted blanket delicately. “I-I am but…” He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. He fists the material under him in his hands. “Alexander,” he starts again, turning back to Alec with a hesitant expression. “They want me to be High Warlock again.”

The moment the statement settles in the air, surprise floods Alec’s features. He looks across the dips and curves of Magnus’ face, across the small mark over his right eyebrow, down the slope of his nose, across those pink lips trying to find the words to retort.

“A-Are you?” He asks hesitantly.

“I... I might.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know.” He turns away from Alec with another sigh, more aggravated than the last. He rubs his hands against his face. “I don’t know what to do. I told myself I was going to go back, to look after them, but I—” He licks his lips nervously. “High Warlock is a big title, Alexander. If I take it…I take a seat on the Council, I go back to the life I lived before all this, I—” He shakes his head again. “I promised you that Camille’s words weren’t true, but here I am, contemplating going back to the very person I was before.”

Alec’s eyes fall to the floor. “The Downworld is your family,” he starts out carefully. “You said it yourself, you can’t abandon them when they need you most.” He tentatively reaches out, fingers ghosting over the fists Magnus has made in the blanket again. His grip lessens under Alec’s touch, easing slightly as Alec’s gentle fingers prod around the bend of his. He intertwines their fingers slowly, applying a slight comforting pressure to ease Magnus’ worries. “Just promise me you’d be careful.”

Those big, brown doe eyes rake up Alec’s figure before their glossy shine fixates on Alec. He nods gently with a hum of agreement.

“I’d be careful, I promise.”

Alec’s heart flutters at Magnus’ whispered words, full of so much raw honesty and feeling. He leans forward, raising a hand to let his fingertips ghost lightly across Magnus’ jawline. Magnus’ gaze falls to Alec’s lips before they slowly trail back up to his eyes, almost pleading silently for a kiss.

_And honestly, who is he to deny him of that?_

He leans closer, feeling soft breaths press against moistened lips. The scratch of his facial hair meets Magnus’, creating a coarse texture that sends all the right shivers down his spine. His nose brushes slightly against Magnus’, and he can see those dark lashes flutter against rosy cheeks before he leans in to close the infinitesimal gap between their lips. The apartment is relatively silent except for the background noise of the TV. The kiss itself makes him almost as breathless as their first kiss they shared in early December. It sears his bones and makes his heart flutter like all the kisses they’ve shared after. It translates everything they can’t say in words, all the feelings that simmer in their chests.

In short, it’s a unique experience each and every time.

After what feels like years, Alec pulls away from the kiss, the sound of lips parting echoing loudly in his ears. He bites his lip on a smile, trying to resist the breathy chuckle that escapes his lungs as he rests his forehead against Magnus’. Magnus’ hands are on his biceps, thumbs gently grazing against the skin exposed from his t-shirt.

“ _What_?” Magnus asks in an exhale.

A smile pulls at Alec’s lips, his eyes still closed. “ _I just kissed the High Warlock of Brooklyn_.”

Magnus’ chuckle is a bit deeper this time, his own humorous smirk spreading across his face. “Hey, don’t go celebrating just yet,” he quips. “I have to accept the position first. Then they have to hold a ceremony.”

Alec pulls back a bit, eyes fluttering open. He wears a curious gaze. “Ceremony?”

Magnus opens his mouth to speak, but shuts it a minute after. “It’s nothing really. A bunch of politics you probably don’t care about and—”

“No,” Alec interrupts. “It’s just…I realize I don’t really know much about the Downworld outside of this case. I don’t know what living in the Downworld is like, or what the Council is like, or how one assumes the title of High Warlock.”

Magnus blinks in surprise before a warm smile spreads across his face. “Consider yourself lucky then, Alexander. You have a fountain of wisdom before you. If you want to know something, I’ll try to explain it the best I can.”

“Can you do that? Disclose crucial information regarding the Downworld to me?”

Magnus shrugs. “The only person the Downworld is worried about getting information like this is Valentine,” he states. “Considering you’re the one trying to save us, I don’t think they’ll mind.”

Alec leans back against the couch, pursing his lips as he silently ponders what he’d possibly want to know about the Downworld. Does he want to know of its formation? Or maybe something about the Warlocks and other subgroups?

He blinks, glancing back to Magnus. He sits there silently, looking back towards Alec and waiting patiently for his questions with a soft smile.

“Is there a vote?” He starts. “Like…does becoming High Warlock require the approval of the members or…?”

Magnus leans against the desk. “Typically, yes, there’s a vote. After I left, the people voted for Lorenzo to take the position because they felt he would meet the task. However, there wasn’t a vote for me to take this position.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Then why did you get offered the position?”

He shrugs. “The Council decided it,” he states. “But there wasn’t much resistance from the Warlock community after hearing that I helped turn Camille in.”

Alec nods. “So then you’ll contact them, and you’ll be the High Warlock again?”

Magnus licks his lips as he starts. “They’ll hold a ceremony soon afterwards, one that will officially mark me as the High Warlock of Brooklyn again. Every Warlock from Brooklyn and Manhattan will be there to attend.” He shrugs. “They always like to make a grand affair of everything.”

Alec chuckles at that. “Is that where you get your dramatic flair from then?”

Magnus chuckles at that. “I suppose so, though I wouldn’t say it’s the only reason.”

Alec looks down at their joined hands once more, running the pad of his thumb across Magnus’ elongated fingers. He doesn’t wear any rings, none except for the one Alec gave him months ago.

“And on the Council…what exactly will you do?”

“It’s more of an executive position, I guess,” he ponders, pouting out his lower lip in thought. “Council members are leaders, they’re the people that everyone looks to and respects. They come together to discuss issues in the Downworld and strive to solve them in the least confrontational, most peaceful way.” He looks to the empty dish of potstickers on the coffee table. “When I was High Warlock a few years ago, my job was to keep my people out of trouble. I built up a large amount of trust with both the other leaders and the other Warlocks. My approaches towards peace were a refreshing breath compared to some of the leaders of the Downworld prior.”

He doesn’t say it, but Alec knows that Magnus is acknowledging Camille’s leadership. Despite how much he tries to hide it, the expression that falls over his features is a dead giveaway of his regret and his guilt. Despite the fact that she’s been arrested, it doesn’t ease his stormy gaze. “You’re not at fault for what she did, Magnus,” he says quietly, rubbing circles against their joined hands.

“I know,” he sighs. “But…I can’t help but feel like this. I allowed her to leave, to disappear until I left, only to reappear when I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.” He shakes his head. “I vowed to protect the Downworld, and yet I’m the one who brought it to ruin.”

Alec’s heart hurts at Magnus’ tone, hurt and ashamed of his actions. He isn’t crying, but by the way his eyes gloss over, he’s very close to it.

_He wants to right his wrongs,_ Alec thinks. _That’s why he wants to go back._

“ _Magnus_ ,” he calls out softly once more, breaking the small bit of silence between them. “If I didn’t make it clear before, let me say it now: I’m okay with you becoming High Warlock again. You don’t have to ask for my permission, nor do I want you to hold back from protecting your people, especially those you care about.” He looks up to Magnus again. “What happened is not your fault; and if you want to take the steps to fix what Camille has done, I’ll support you.”

Magnus looks back over to him again, a vulnerable, uncertain flicker of emotion dancing through his dark eyes. He blinks a few times. “You’re sure about this?” He asks hesitantly. “You’re sure you want me to take this chance?”

Alec leans in to press a chaste kiss to Magnus’ forehead. He leans back with a soft smile to Magnus. “Go for it.”

Magnus huffs out a smile of his own at Alec’s encouraging words. With another kiss—this time against Alec’s lips—Magnus pulls away to put his now empty dishes away. “Alright then, Mr. Lightwood,” he teases. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make a quick call.”

And with a new sense of purpose, Magnus disappears into the kitchen to accept the position on the Council.

 

~~~~

 

The morning of Magnus’ ceremony is surprisingly normal.

It feels like any other morning, where the both of them ready for the day after sharing a few morning kisses in bed. Magnus readies himself in the bathroom as Alec goes to make breakfast. He’s dressed in his usual uniform of a dark fitted short-sleeved shirt, black cargo pants, and his steel-toed combat boots. They’ve both got a long day ahead of them, so breakfast is essential today.

_Today,_ he thinks, _today is the day we’re going to find Valentine._

It’s not definitive, if he’s to be honest. He doesn’t _actually_ know if they’ll be able to locate Valentine today, but there’s something in his bones, something telling him that they _will._

It’s that hope he holds on to.

“You don’t think it’s too much, is it?”

Alec looks up from the counter to see Magnus walking out from the bedroom fiddling with the beaded bracelet around his wrist. He’s dressed in a silk shirt that fits him well, showing off the broad expanse of his shoulders and biceps. The shirt is covered in a gorgeous dark blue with contrasting silver textures that hit the light and make him appear as if he’s glowing. An assortment of necklaces, dark jeans and boots, as well as his usual rings and ear cuff compliment the silver of the shirt; the kohl around his eyes completes the look.

Frankly, Alec is breathless.

_How is he so lucky?_

He realizes a bit too late that Magnus is looking at him expectantly. He flushes, stammering a bit, which earns a pleased chuckle from his boyfriend.

“You look amazing, Magnus,” Alec states breathily. He walks over to Magnus with a smile, kissing him once more. “I really don’t think there’s such thing as “too much” for you.”

Magnus chuckles at that as he walks over to the chrome-finished fridge, opening it and grabbing some juice. “You’d be surprised, Alexander. I’ve been told before that sometimes I can be a bit much for people.”

He says it jokingly, but Alec can see the hint of vulnerability he exhibits as he pours a glass of juice.

“Well then I guess they don’t know what the definition of perfection is,” Alec says, padding around the bar of the kitchen. He steps close to Magnus, close enough to breathe in the intoxicating scent of sandalwood and feel the heat of his boyfriend’s body against his. “Cause I just see the most beautiful man in the world.”

Magnus blushes as that, somehow taken aback by Alec’s sudden compliment. He bites back a smile as he turns his face away from Alec. “P-Please,” he stammers. “You’re just trying to flatter me.”

“I can’t flatter you if it’s true,” Alec counters, dipping his head down and kissing Magnus full on the mouth.  He can feel the smile in Magnus’ lips as they kiss, the light-hearted chuckle that rumbles through his chest, and the curve of his fingers winding through Alec’s freshly groomed locks.

“You’ve gotten a bit sappy there, _officer_ ,” Magnus purrs as he pulls away slightly from Alec’s toe-curling kisses. His fingers press against Alec’s moistened lips, trailing across the bottom one slowly, and Alec doesn’t hesitate to pull the phalange in his mouth, tongue curving around the digit in a way that is anything but chaste. Magnus bites back a moan at the action. “A-As much as I love this, we _nhhh—fuck,_ I—we can’t afford to be late today.”

Alec chuckles at that, pulling away from Magnus’ finger with a soft pop. “Perhaps something to look forward to later, hm?”

Magnus flushes again, taking back his hand. “You just want to say that you’ve fucked the High Warlock of Brooklyn, don’t you?”

Alec hums, neither agreeing or disagreeing as he leans forward to kiss Magnus’ cheek. “ _It has nothing to do with the title, trust me,_ ” he whispers before turning back towards the pantry cupboards. “So what do you want for breakfast?” He transitions, opening up the cabinets and looking in their contents. “I could make some French Toast.”

Magnus smiles at the suggestion. “Sounds perfect.”

He’s practically blown away by how _amazing_ Alec is at making French Toast. It’s not like he’s a horrendous cook, but if left to his own devices, often times the turnout isn’t that great. Alec’s learned how to cook better since they started spending more evenings at Magnus’ during his house arrest, and now he’s able to cook a few dishes confidently on his own.

French Toast, interestingly enough, is one that Alec is an expert at.

And Magnus hadn’t even taught him how to make that.

Once they’ve had their fill of French Toast, they’re shuffling around to clean up the mess made, washing the dishes, and polishing the glass table they ate on. Alec hums under his breath, and the morning light casts against his skin as he tidies up.

It has Magnus entranced almost, like this is all some vivid dream. He’s strangely existential this morning, reveling in the fact that _this is real_ and someone loves him this much to cook breakfast with him, to talk about the Downworld, and to not be burdened with the secrets he’s held back from previous lovers. Alec is different, in every way possible, and he loves it.

He’s dragged out of his existential thoughts by Alec, whose hands—suddenly cooler thanks to the water from the faucet—wrap around his. Alec’s still humming, though it’s louder than before, as he pulls Magnus closer. His hips move back and forth and Magnus can’t help but let out a breathy laugh.

Only with Alec could he ever imagine himself dancing with arms wrapped around necks and waists, giggling at the uncoordinated sway of their hips. Only Alec can make him feel like this.

He lets out a surprised gasp when Alec turns him suddenly, dipping him in the middle of their kitchen. His hands are in Alec’s hair, threading through the short ends at his nape as Alec leans down to press another kiss to Magnus’ lips.

He really is head-over-heels for this man; however cheesy his actions may be _._

Those three familiar words are on the tip of his tongue as Alec brings him back up from the dip, and he leans forward to whisper them against Alec’s lips before he—

The incessant ring of Magnus’ phone goes off, and both Alec and Magnus have to suppress a groan at the mood that has suddenly shattered. Magnus regretfully pulls away from Alec, pulling his phone out of his pocket and sighing at the screen.

“I have to get going.”

“Already?”

Magnus frowns at his phone, quieting the notification. “I need to be there before the ceremony actually starts. I have to meet with the Council and do some other small things before everyone gets there.” He turns, walking towards the door as Alec follows behind. He takes his jacket off the coat rack by the entrance. “It starts at about 1, but it should be done before the end of the afternoon,” he starts. “What would you say about dinner afterwards? We could go to Woods to celebrate.”

“Won’t they have a reception after the ceremony though?”

“Yes, but,” Magnus smiles up at him amusingly, “one can never have too many glasses of merlot.”

Alec hums, pressing his lips into a thin line. “That’s debatable.” Magnus chuckles before Alec adds “I’d love to. I’ll call in a reservation before I leave.”

“Okay,” Magnus affirms. He goes to slip his arms through his coat, shrugging it over his shoulders. He gives another endearing look to Alec. “Well then, I’m off to go be the High Warlock of Brooklyn again.”

Alec smiles back at him. “Have a good day,” he says pressing one last chaste kiss to Magnus’ lips. “Be safe.”

Magnus’ smile grows at the domestic action. “I will, I promise.” He steps forward to steal one last kiss—which makes Alec chuckle—before he slips out the door and out into the late-February morning.

He leaves as Magnus Bane, but by tonight, he’ll return as the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

 

~~~~

 

By the next hour and a half, Alec’s made the reservation for Woods, picked up files from Aline, and organized his notes from his talk with Jocelyn yesterday.

They’ve deduced that Valentine is definitely going bigger than last time, and thus they’ve deduced that Valentine will need as much manpower as possible. They had started going into details about the Circle, such as a few key members and their behaviors. As the morning passes, Alec gives the information of the circle to some of the other officers per Luke’s request. If anyone could identify Circle activity, that’d land them a step ahead of Valentine.

It’s about almost noon when Luke reappears from where he’s been holed up in his office. Alec’s eyes immediately meet his, and with a curt nod towards his office, Alec rises from his desk.

He walks into Luke’s office after Luke, closing the door quietly behind him. He turns to see Luke leaning against the edge of his desk, arms folded and gaze fixed on the corkboard across the room. There’s a map of New York City tacked onto it, with several dark pins poking in various places. He nods to the map.

“What’s that?”

Luke keeps his eyes trained to the map. “It’s our geographical profile,” he states. “All those pins account for a body that has been reported to the police in both Manhattan and Brooklyn.” He lets out a heavy exhale. “In Aline’s file alone, there are 14 crime scenes. _Fourteen,_ ” he emphasizes grimly. “There’s almost 70 bodies here, Alec. Seventy bodies in total, including the 17 Magnus was framed for, the 17 found since his release, and the victims we found on those surveillance videos.” Alec can hear Luke’s deep voice shaking at the edges of his words. “And that may not even be everyone.”

Alec’s chest grows heavy. “According to our Downworlder sources,” he starts regretfully, “it seems like these murders have been happening for over a year now.” He steps forward to the map, finger resting gently on one of the pin tops. “But even then…Magnus has said that Valentine has caused panic in their group for _years._ ” He shakes his head. “There’s probably…hundreds more unaccounted for.”

That statement alone becomes a weight that neither were ready to carry. Suddenly the air is all too thick, too viscous to breathe in. There are hundreds, _hundreds_ of people that have gone missing and been killed by this man and his followers over the years since he had been discharged. Just the weight of knowing that they won’t be able to get justice for everyone makes their hearts hang heavy.

Luke’s phone pings abruptly, and it makes Alec jolt on instinct.

Luke opens his phone, tapping the notification.

“Isabelle just finished the autopsy reports on our remaining victims,” he states. “She’ll be up in the next half hour.” He pushes off of where he leans from his desk. “Let’s get this map to the board room.”

Alec nods as they start to take the pins out from the map. It’s silent and heavy again. “Jocelyn told me she had a run in with Valentine once,” he perks up whilst taking out another pin. “She also said you saved her from that too.”

Luke hums in agreement. “I did. It was brief, however.”

“Did you try to reason with him?” Alec questions.

Luke places the final pin in its appropriate box. “At that point, no. He’d shot Joce, and my first priority was saving her. I did enough to scare him off.” He shakes his head. “I should’ve shot him when I had the chance. Maybe then so many people would’ve been spared.”

Alec doesn’t immediately respond, and the sentence weighs heavy in the air. They move to the board room soon after, tacking the edges of the map to the corkboard in there.

By the time they’re finished putting all the pins back in, Izzy has joined them.

She places down the hard copies on the table as she circles around towards the projector to hook up her laptop.

Once it’s hooked up, the blinds are closed and both Alec and Luke take their seats across the table. Izzy opens up a few different programs on her computer before she circles back to them.

“So, unsurprisingly, we didn’t find much variation in the other half of the bodies,” she begins. “They all had the same trace and amount of poison in their veins, all stabbed at the same angle rather skillfully, and suffered horrendous amounts of overkill.”

“Which is Valentine’s MO,” Luke states. “We understand that.”

“Right, so I looked into the specifics of everything. Poison dosage, cut depth, _everything._ And I found something interesting.” She brings up a rather grotesque picture of the slit across the victim’s necks. It’s been cleaned in the lab, and a ruler is held up to the laceration. “As you can see, they’re generally wide cuts. The skin surrounding the area is precise, swift, no hesitation.” She taps to another picture. “But as I was measuring, I noticed that some of the other members had deeper slashes than others, specifically one in particular.”

The picture flashes across the screen.

“Bat?”

Izzy nods. “Maia had said at our crime scene that she knew him well, that he was a good man. My guess is that he was close to her, not just as a friend, but also close in status.”

“Like another Alpha?”

“No,” Luke interjects. “Packs only have one Alpha, and that’s Maia. When I wrapped up my investigation of the Wolves six years ago, Bat had just come into the pack. But from the way Maia talked about him, my guess is that he became the Beta. Beta’s  are usually second in command under the Alpha.”

Alec looks back to the projector. “Were there any others who had deeper cuts?”

“A couple. But from what little information we did get from the victim’s files, it seems that the ones with the more shallower cuts just came into the Downworld, whereas those who have served for longer periods of time sustained deeper cuts.”

There’s a minute of silence to process that. “So then he’s showing more rage towards the long-standing members,” Alec trails.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” Izzy adds.

Luke seems to be content enough with it. Izzy reports on a few other things, but nothing that comes as much of a surprise to any of them.

Once the autopsy report is finished, Luke turns his attention towards Alec. “What about you, Alec? Did you and Jocelyn come up with any leads or new information?”

“Jocelyn and I determined that Valentine was going to go for a bigger assault,” he starts, looking at his notepad from the conversation from yesterday. “With the decrease in numbers in the Wolves and the wavering stability of the Vampire group, we think that an attack against them is imminent.”

Izzy looks to the map. “Both the Vampires and Wolves are stationed in Manhattan,” she states. “According to what we have in our files, it’s the origin of where Valentine struck first. It’d make sense it would be his endgame as well.”

Alec’s brows furrow. _But that’s too easy,_ he thinks, eyes trailing across the varying amount of pins on the board. Though the multitude of the Manhattan murders reside around Midtown and the Upper East Side, there’s a part of him that tells him it _can’t be there._

He trails his eyes across the map, across from Manhattan and into Brooklyn, down to Bushwick towards East New York and—

_Wait a minute._

“Izzy,” Alec calls out, eyes widening a bit in realization. “Bring up the picture of the mark again.” She nods, going to pull the projector screen down over the map. “Wait,” he stills her. “Just leave it.”

She blinks in surprise for a second before returning back to her computer, connecting to the projector. Soon the mark appears in the corner of the map. She looks to Alec expectantly.

“Can you drag it to the center?” He asks, and it takes a minute before the small image overlays the center of the map. “Try making it bigger, focusing the points of the mark on the biggest clusters of bodies we found.”

It takes a few minutes of clicking and maneuvering the image, but it’s not long before she’s sized the image appropriately, orienting the picture slightly so that it overlays the mass of bodies they found from all the murders thus far.

“ _Dear god_ …”

 

 

Alec rises from his chair, running up to the overlay on the map. “This cross-section of the lines,” he starts, pointing to where the tip of the diamond meets the two longer lines. “Where those four lines meet, where is that?”

Izzy’s brows furrow as she brings up a digital version of the map on her computer, blowing up the image to the area Alec points to. “It’s a large space, Alec. There’s a bunch of things in the area, coffee shops, restaurants, some old warehouses for shipping companies,” she lists off, shaking her head slightly. “Nothing particularly different than the rest of Brooklyn.”

Alec’s eyes graze over the area. Something bugs him, pulling at his brain.

 

_Every Warlock will be there. They love to make a grand affair of everything._

 

His eyes widen. “Are any of those warehouses abandoned?”

Izzy blinks in surprise, but types a few things into the computer, refining her searches. Sure enough, a couple of warehouses come up. “Yeah, a couple near the river closed down ages ago. They’ve been out of use for years though.”

“Alec,” Luke calls, “What is it?”

Alec’s gut wrenches.

“ _He’s going to kill Magnus_ …” He trails in a whisper.

“Alec—?”

Alec almost falls to the floor, steadying himself on a nearby chair. His eyes are wide in horror. “He’s going to kill Magnus!” He says, voice cracking slightly at the realization. He meets Luke’s gaze. “Magnus was accepted back into the Downworld recently, and the Council was adamant about him stepping up as the High Warlock again.” His gaze falters, falling down to the desk as he sorts through the details in his head. “Jocelyn said that Valentine’s missions were to infiltrate and eradicate, and he’s been trying to do that with the Downworld.” He licks his lips nervously. “With Magnus getting accepted as the High Warlock, all the warlock community of both Brooklyn and Manhattan will be there at their headquarters.”

“As well as the Council…” Luke adds, trailing off. His eyes widen at the realization. He turns back to Alec. “When does the ceremony start?”

He looks to his watch and curses. “It started thirty minutes ago.”

“Which means that Valentine is headed to that location as we speak,” Izzy notes.

“And he’s planning on taking the entire Warlock community down, as well as the Council.” Alec shakes his head. “Without the Council, the entire Downworld will be stripped of their leaders and—"

“And the Downworld will devolve further into chaos,” Luke finishes.

“ _Oh god…_ ”

“Luke, do you know where the Warlock headquarters is?” Izzy asks.

Luke looks at the screen, analyzing the map. “There,” he gestures. “That one by the river.”

Izzy types quickly into the computer. She writes down the address and hands the slip to Luke, who starts to make a B-line towards the door. Izzy and Alec follow him out.

With determination in his gaze, Luke walks out into the main area. “Alright, listen up!” He yells out. “I need every officer not on active duty to suit up. We’ve got a situation down in Maspeth. I need ever pair of legs I can get.” His orders cause the once relaxed officers to rise, quickly moving to suit up and prepare for a full team assault. He points to one of the officers still at his desk. “Stephen, get SWAT on the line and tell them that Valentine Morgenstern will be launching an assault on this address.” He hands Stephen the paper.

“Y-Yes sir!” He turns back, quickly punching in the numbers.

Luke turns back to the Lightwood siblings. “Alec, you’re coming with me. Isabelle, I need you for our assist team. People are most likely going to come out of that building injured, and we’ll need all the medical expertise you can provide.”

Izzy nods. “I’ll call medical and get them down there right away.” With that, she turns and proceeds to prepare for the oncoming mission.

Alec looks to Luke. “What should I do?”

“Go get your gun and a bulletproof vest,” Luke recommends. “I’m going to give Jocelyn a call, see if she can get any agents down there. There are most likely going to be Circle members within that building as we speak, and we don’t want to be outmanned in an assault like this.”

It's then that it clicks, that Alec takes a breath to suddenly realize that _this is real_ and _Valentine is going to kill Magnus._

Holy shit.

_Magnus is going to die._

He practically flies out of the main office and towards the locker room down the hall at the thought. Luke’s words run through his brain at full force, and suddenly the large room feels so much smaller, so much hotter, and the world feels like it’s tilting on its axis.

_Magnus is going to die—_

_If he doesn’t get there in time, Magnus is going to die and—_

“Breathe, Lightwood!”

There’s a lighthearted smack to his back, causing him to gasp suddenly and loudly, eyes wide as the oxygen fills his lungs. He turns to see another officer who’s fully geared up in a vest and clipping his gun to his belt. He wears a concerned look towards Alec.

“Underhill,” Alec wavers, “s-sorry, I just—”

“Do you need help?” He offers.

Alec shakes his head quickly. “N-No, I just got caught up in the moment, sorry. Go join the others,” he says, shooing Underhill away. He can feel Underhill give another uncertain look before his presence disappears.

He turns back to his locker, shaking hands opening the door. The usual scream of rusty hinges is silent now, and all he can focus on is moving quickly, shrugging on his bulletproof vest and attaching his gun to his belt almost instinctively. He slips another smaller Glock into the secret holster around his ankle, concealed just under his dark cargo pants. He takes in another staggered breath before turning out of the locker room and out into the precinct parking lot.

Luke ushers him towards the SUV’s while the other cops go towards their cars. The sirens start blaring painfully loud, some already tearing out of the parking spaces and disappearing out into the city.

On shaky limbs, Alec hops into the SUV, closing the door quickly. His heart is in overdrive, limbs shaking and mind racing with thoughts he can’t keep up with.

_If they aren’t quick enough, Magnus will die_.

His breath shudders.

_Hopefully they’re not too late_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> welp, this is it. our next chapter is officially the FINALE of Take the Stand! 
> 
> I actually have a couple more art things for this fic that I've made. Just small things like setups of Alec/Magnus' homes and some other little details. Would you guys like to see more of it? I'm thinking about making this a series and having "part II" just be the art. What do you guys think?
> 
> As always, come say hello over on [tumblr!](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/)


	24. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a race against time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are…the finale. _Holy moly_ it’s been 8 months of ups and downs and hours upon hours of typing, but we’re here. This is the last chapter of Take the Stand, and I’m so emotional about writing these notes cause it’s over.
> 
> I’ll save the garbled gibberish that will be my over-emotional ass until the end, but for those who haven’t seen it yet, there is a part II to this story which features all the art/references that I’ve made up until this point for the fic!
> 
> I also want to make you guys aware that there are new tags in place to coincide with this chapter. It’s a very intense chapter, and so the warnings for Graphic Depictions of Violence and Gun Violence are very prominent in this chapter, so be wary. 
> 
> I also compiled a small little playlist that you guys can listen to while reading! I highly suggest it, as most of these songs I was listening to while writing the scenes in this story. They're all in order as well, so feel free to listen while you read :)
> 
> 1\. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR2Fo3B5r2c  
> 2\. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ropfI_pyU  
> 3\. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVEOsY8Jtxs  
> 4\. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UtGByTGbrg  
> 5\. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzZ421uaX-Q  
> 6\. Malec – Shadowhunters OST  
> 7\. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwlLkFBfoeM

The ride to the Warlock headquarters is the most stressful ride of Alec’s life.

The sirens are blaring, and Luke is tearing through traffic like it’s the end of the world, but it doesn’t seem _fast enough_.

_Magnus is in danger._

That’s Alec’s only thought process in the car.

He’s in danger.

He could be killed.

Alec’s leg shakes faster.

He looks down to his phone that sits silently in his hands. He’s sent a string of texts to Magnus, hoping for a response. But in the time since they left the precinct to where they are now, Magnus hasn’t responded.

And frankly, it drives him crazy.

 _I’ve got to call him,_ he thinks, shaking hands gripping his phone again. He unlocks it quickly, pressing Magnus’ contact faster than he probably ever has before and brings it to his ear.

It rings once.

Twice.

Three times.

 _C’mon Magnus...pick up_!

The line clicks.

_Oh thank God—_

“ _You have reached the number of Magnus Bane. I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the phone right now, but if you leave a message, I’ll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible_.”

Alec almost throws his phone across the dashboard.

_Damn it!_

The one time Alec needs Magnus to pick up, he won’t. What’s worse, is that he calls _multiple times_ and eventually it just goes straight to voicemail. Which means…

Magnus turned his phone off.

He could scream.

He drops the phone from his shaking hands, pushing it onto the dashboard in front of him. It clatters against the surface, breaking the silence inside the car.

“H-He’s not answering,” Alec stutters out, breath suddenly caught in his lungs. “I called multiple times and it’s going straight to voicemail. What if he’s— _oh god_ , what if he’s been hurt or killed or—?”

“ _ALEC_ ,” Luke interrupts. “Jesus, breathe, Alec.” He turns onto another road sharply. “We’re almost there. Magnus will be okay. He knows how to protect himself.” His brows furrow as he concentrates on the road. “Believe me when I say he knows how to fight when he needs to.”

Somehow the words of subtle encouragement don’t do anything for him. His mind is still racing with all the possibilities that could go wrong, how Magnus could be dead, how Magnus could be tortured, his throat slit and—

_He’s going to be sick._

The car stops suddenly, almost throwing him forward towards the dashboard. Luke puts the SUV in park before ushering Alec out. He does so, and though his mind is frantic, his movements have lost desperation. The other squad members also pull up behind Luke, hopping out of the cars and ushering themselves over to Luke, who slaps a map of their current area against the hood of the car.

“Alright, listen up everyone. This place is huge. There are over 100 people in this building, and we have to work quickly and efficiently to get everyone out with the least number of casualties possible.” He looks up to the other squad members around the car. “There are various points of entry, so we’ll assign 6 teams. I’ll lead the Alfa team,” he starts, pointing to the main entrance of the map. “We’ll go in the main way and open up a way to get hostages out.  Bravo team will follow behind, cutting down the east corridor. Alaric, I trust you to take the lead for the Bravo team.”

“Yes sir!” Alaric acknowledges.

Luke looks back to the map. “The Charlie squadron will be led by Alec, and you’ll take the back entrance. We’re hoping there won’t be as much foot traffic that way. Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot squadrons will be on the assist, helping get these hostages out safely and assisting in backup if needed.” He looks up from the map and over to Izzy, who wears her own bulletproof vest with the NYPD symbol splayed across the front. “Isabelle will be heading the relief team. Once you get them out, get any wounded to the medical tent. We’ll have the main relief team out front here, and a supplemental one through the back entrance.” He looks back to the group again, brows knitted together in determination. “Does everyone understand?”

“Yes sir!”

Luke nods. “Very well. Let’s assign teams and stop this son of a bitch.”

 

~~~~

 

The warehouse is far more intricate than what he was expecting.

Typically, warehouses are huge, consisting of one or two office-like rooms and one large room that can be separated into a multitude of different areas. But this one…this one is different. He thinks—perhaps—that it used to be more of an industry space than for storage, seeing that it has multiple levels and a plethora of small rooms and halls.

They clear through the back entrance as per Luke’s orders. He was right about the less foot traffic, though they still have had to fight off a few Circle members who were guarding the doors.

It reminds him of training almost, back to the days where they’d do drills at the precinct in the old days. They’d rent out some old, multi-leveled building for the day and have a particular set of people assigned to different roles. The objective was always very simple: kill the perp, secure the hostage. Take no risks and never go alone.

It was something his parents had drilled into him during training. Deviating from the mission is what got you, hostages, or both murdered in an instant.

With every step he takes, his senses are all hyperaware. He can hear the crunch and slide of the dirty warehouse floors underneath his feet, the noise of their footsteps almost screaming against the silence of the hallways. He leads them forward through the hall until they reach the end. He stops at the corner, peeking around it slightly.

_Silence._

He nods towards the other members of his squadron. He meets Underhill’s eyes, who nods back to him. They duck around the corner, continuing forward until doorways start coming into view.

Alec doesn’t take his eyes off the doors, but gestures to each door, issuing a couple officers to one on the right and another on the left. He keeps his eyes trained on the three doors ahead of him as the officers behind him break into the rooms.

The sound of the doors crunching, the shouting of fellow officers, the flash of gunfire and the ringing sound that resonates through the air echoes through his eardrums. The gunfire is limited, vague. There’s not many in those rooms.

“Clear!” The call sounds.

Alec nods, pressing forward. He and Underhill split off to the left while two other officers split to the right. The officers behind them stand watch in the hall, guns readied on both ends of the hall, waiting for movement.

“Police!” Alec yells out, kicking open the door with his steel-toed boots. It crunches under him effortlessly, bending and breaking against his strength. He pushes forward into the room, gun locked and loaded as he and Underhill snap around the door.

_One._

Alec sees him almost instantly, the shot of his gun resounding before he even has the thought to process it.

_BANG!_

One to the chest.

He shoots once more, another to the chest, slightly higher as the man cries out, crumpling to the floor. When he falls, Alec crouches next to him, pressing his fingers against his neck.

_No pulse._

“Clear!” Alec shouts as he turns his attention back towards Underhill, who stations next to another doorway. He gives a hesitant look to Alec, asking silent permission that Alec allows. He opens the door quickly, and Alec can hear the faint gasps of hostages.

Underhill stashes his gun in his holster as Alec runs over to help.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Underhill says smoothly to a young woman crying in hysterics. “We’re gonna get you out of here, it’s okay.”

Alec waves towards the woman. “It’s okay, ma’am. We’re here to get you all out. Come this way Miss…?”

“Anne…” she stutters out. “Anne Shade…”

Alec nods to her, extending his hand out accompanied with a warm, welcoming smile. “We’re going to get you out of here, Anne,” he states.

She melts into him, her cries muffling as she presses against his chest. He presses his hand to the back of her head, patting her gently as they walk towards the exit of the room. The other hostages follow, and he takes them towards the back of the officer squadron.

He pulls away from Anne, hands resting on her shoulders. “Anne, I need you to listen to me, okay?” He starts carefully. Anne’s bloodshot eyes meet his. “These men are going to take you outside, and they’ll take care of you, okay? You’ll be safe with them, I promise.”

Anne nods incessantly. Her movements still scream shock, but she cooperates, latching onto another officer to escort her outside. He watches as the hostages all make their way back through where they came.

“Any more hostages?” Alec asks, turning to the rest of his squadron.

Another officer, Gorski, shakes his head. “Unfortunately, not everyone was as kind as your guy.” His tone is grim. “Ten in our first room. All dead.”

Alec’s lips press into a firm line at that. _Ten innocent lives lost already._ “We’ll generate a headcount once we clear the area.” He takes his gun back out from its holster. “Let’s go.”

They file back into formation, tightly knit together as they reach the end of the hall.

“The plans dictate it’s a big room,” Underhill states behind Alec. “Most likely there’s a lot of Circle members here.”

Alec nods at that. “Alright, then find something for cover and don’t make any daring shots. We need to get as many people out as possible, got it?”

He gets a collective nod of acknowledgement from the other officers. With a deep breath, he quickly opens the door.

True to Underhill’s word, the room the spill into is large. It’s a far bigger room than the others, though it provides plenty of cover with a wide array of shipping crates and large boxes. All eight of them spill into the room, ducking and hiding behind some of the various objects in the warehouse. Alec peeks around the box he hides behind.

_Nothing._

He issues two of the officers out, making sure they’re on their guard. When they start down the main aisle, he issues the others to take the sides.

 _This room is too large for it to be empty,_ he thinks as he starts down one of the aisles. Underhill is at his side, providing an extra set of eyes and serving as his blind spot. As they circle around, they reach the first main area, which is a wide, open space.

Seconds later, the whole squadron is suddenly back together.

Alec’s brows furrow, he lowers his gun slightly, looking around.

 _Empty?_ Alec thinks, looking around at the boxes. _There is no way that a room as large as this could be—_

_BANG!_

“Walton!” Gorski shouts, and Alec instantly turns towards the pair just in time to see Officer Walton go down, with a wide-eyed look. The bullet hole stands out of his head like a sore thumb as he falls to the floor with a sickening splatter, blood painting the floor.

“IT’S AN AMBUSH!” Underhill yells.

“Everyone take cover!” Alec yells, and they dart behind various boxes and crates. What was once silence is now filled with the deafening sound of marching feet. It layers over itself, making it impossible to count how many people are coming.

Alec peers around the box he hides behind to see if he can find the source where they’re coming from. But before he can get a solid stance of where they are—

_BANG!_

The ring of a gunshot screams out once more, and Alec ducks back behind his box. He notices the bullet hole making its new home in the wall across from him. His heart stutters in his chest. He looks to his right to see Underhill hiding behind a box as well, trying to find a vantage point to look. Another shot rings out, and he ducks behind the box, meeting Alec’s gaze.

“Sniper,” Alec mouths. Underhill seems to get the message.

“Where?” He whispers.

The sound of marching feet grows impossibly louder, and Alec can barely take a breath before gunshots start sounding off.

_Semi-automatics._

Motherfucker.

Alec takes a breath, popping up for a moment to shoot a couple of rounds. He hits two Circle members, but the steady outpour of Circle members show that he barely made a dent in their reinforcements. He ducks back behind his cover before they get the chance to shoot at him more.

“ _Fuck,_ ” he breathes out, peering out to the left beyond the box. He watches as Officer Martinez pops up from his cover to administer a few shots. Five Circle members go down.

Unfortunately, he’s unable to strike a sixth.

_BANG!_

The shot corkscrews through Martinez’s neck in a split second, and he lets out a garbled gasp as his blood sprays out from the wound. His body flubs backward. Alec squeezes his eyes shut as he leans back against the crate. “They got Martinez.”

“ _Fuck,_ ” Underhill curses, popping up just briefly to fire a couple of shots before returning to his position. “We’re sitting ducks here.”

Alec looks to the bullet holes finding their place in the wall across from him. Another wave of bullets rings out as more of them come into contact with the wall. One happens to barrel through the crate he hides behind, just an inch or so away from him. He grits his teeth. “That sniper is going to take us all out if we don’t take care of him first.”

Underhill huffs. “Yeah, well that’s a bit easier said than done, Lightwood.” Another series of shots rings out and it has both Alec and Underhill jolting. “We don’t even know where the hell they are.”

Alec closes his eyes, trying desperately to block out the shouting and gunfire that echoes in his ears once more. He replays the exchange between Martinez and the other Circle members.

Five went down.

Martinez was going to take a sixth shot.

He looked up.

_Up._

Alec peers around the crate once more, looking, searching for anything that could serve as a vantage point like—

His eyes catch the faint glint of light emanating from a dilapidated wall across the way where the Circle members pool out from.

_BANG!_

“Gorski just went down,” Underhill breathes as Alec turns back around. “We have to move. They’re closing in.”

Alec nods to Underhill.

“Did you find the sniper?”

Alec nods once more. “Back wall. There’s a hole through the old wall on that side that they’re peering the gun out from. My guess is they’re sitting on a bunch of boxes or something to get a high enough vantage point.”

Underhill huffs. “Should’ve known they wouldn’t have made this easy.”

As another wave of bullets rip through, Alec, Underhill, and the other 3 officers left in the squadron alternate between popping out and shooting Circle members. It seems to work for a while, and they manage to evade the incoming shots of the sniper.

With each duck, Alec slowly pieces together how to get to the sniper. There’s an aisle in the blind spot off to the sniper’s left. If he can get past it soundlessly, there’s a possibility for a vantage point to take out the sniper.

“Underhill,” Alec pants out, ducking back behind the crate as another shot rings out from the sniper. “I know a way to get to the sniper. I just need you to keep them preoccupied.”

Underhill gives a nod, accompanied by an amused smirk. “Leave it to me, Alec,” he states, unloading an empty magazine and reloading his gun with a new one. He gestures for Alec to go before popping out from his place and firing another series of shots to the Circle members coming through the door.

With a deep breath, Alec ducks off to his left, rolling across the floor quite effortlessly until he seeks new cover. He’s about 10 feet away from the aisle, and then he’ll hopefully have solid cover to face the sniper.

The sound of gunshots echoes out again, accompanied by pained gasps and yells. The stench of blood and gunpowder permeates the air around them.

His heart palpitates in his chest.

_Hello adrenaline._

He shoots out from his second spot of cover when Underhill and the other three officers Romano, Cobb, and Chan all pop up from their places, yelling at the top of their lungs as heavy gunfire rings out. Alec puts everything into his movements, sprinting towards the aisle. He can hear the sound of the sniper’s shot ring out, and he ducks down, sliding on his knees the last couple of feet until he’s safe behind the large metal containers in the aisle.

Alec huffs, looking back to see Underhill ducking back underneath his spot. They lock eyes for a moment, and Underhill nods.

Alec turns down the aisle, reading his gun in case any other Circle members try to ambush him. Lucky enough for him, it seems their attention is all directed towards the fighting in the main clearing, thus leaving the aisle clear.

The sniper’s shots get louder as he paces down the aisle. As another round resumes, there’s a distinct shout, followed by a bang against the metal container behind Alec.

 _Chan was hiding there,_ he remembers.

That sniper has already taken out almost half the squadron.

_Fuck._

Alec presses his back to the metal container behind him, feeling the cold emanating from it. He peers around the edge of the container, noticing how close the hole in the wall is to him.

It’s only a couple feet higher than the top of the container, which is still a good few inches taller than him. Sure enough, the glint of the barrel of the gun can be seen faintly through the dilapidated wall.

 _He’s not going to be able to just shoot him through the wall,_ he thinks.

There’s got to be something he can use to throw through the opening or—

He turns, looking at some of the crates and boxes around him. It’s not guaranteed that there’s anything in them, but he has to try.

Alec quietly pushes to the other end of the narrow aisle, cracking open boxes and bins to examine the contents. It doesn’t take long for him to find something worth value.

_Hairspray._

His skin prickles. He knows _exactly_ how to take care of the sniper.

He looks down to see a loose thread at the waistband of his pants. He pulls it off with a snap, and as yells echo out against gunfire, Alec uncaps the hairspray bottle. He coats the end of the string in the sprayable substance before tying it around the cap with shaky fingers. He pulls it tight and reaches into his belt.

His fingers wrap around the smooth substance and he’s quick to draw out the lighter, flicking it on and trying desperately to get it to light. It’s old, but he always carries one since most of the officers on the force smoke—though they never seem to carry anything to light it.

Needless to say, he’s thankful for his resourcefulness now.

The lighter finally sparks, setting a steady flame. He brings the tip of the loose string just over the flame.

_C’mon…_

The end catches fire.

The adrenaline that jolts through his body in that moment is like getting hit by lightning. He turns from the aisle, and another round of shots ring out. He can hear the sniper shoot out once more, and in that moment before they can reload, Alec’s running across the edge of the wall, ducking out of the aisle.

It feels like slow motion almost as he runs towards the sniper’s spot. The deafening gunfire is lost to his ears. There’s only one thing he’s focused on.

_Throw it._

He throws his arm up in the air as he can feel the can of hairspray leave his fingertips. It sinks into the small hole effortlessly, and he can hear the metal clatter far louder than the shouting and gunshots.

_Get out of the way._

_Get out of the way—!_

He bursts forward, running along the wall as fast as his legs can take him. He’s almost to the other side of the clearing to an aisle identical from the one he left when—

_BOOM!_

He can feel the shock of the explosion jolt his bones as he falls to the floor. The wall bursts into pieces, with old drywall and crippled wooden beams splintering underneath the impact of the explosion. The debris takes out a couple of the Circle members standing far too close, and gunfire almost immediately ceases as soon as the explosion goes off.

There’s a ringing in Alec’s ears as he groans, rising up from the dusty floor. His body aches from the impact, the exhaustion of moving so quickly and so roughly catching up to him. He rises up stiffly, turning with a groan to assess the damage of the blast.

As the smoke clears, he can see that the bomb was successful in blowing a hole in the wall. It’s a large, fractured hole with splintered beams and drywall that still burns with leftover flames from the explosion. The stench of blood and smoke is far more odiferous than before, and it makes his stomach lurch slightly when he takes a deep breath.

Rising to his feet and standing fully, he can see how far the damage of the blast extended. Circle members lie face down, each sustaining heavy injuries from the blow of debris.

Unfortunately, the Circle members weren’t the only ones.

Officer Cobb lies in the midst of the other Circle members, lying with his back to Alec. His back is littered with various injuries, as apparent from the blood seeping from the wounds. Alec can see a particular wedge of old wood that has splintered itself into his lower right side.

It makes Alec’s heart sink.

“ _Holy shit, Alec,_ ” Underhill breathes out as he rises from his hiding place along the back wall. He lowers his gun, surveying the damage. “How’d you manage to make a bomb?”

Alec doesn’t answer, holstering his gun before slowly striding across the space. He nudges some of the bodies with his foot to see if they’re really dead before making his way over to Officer Cobb. He presses his fingers against Cobb’s pulse point.

_Nothing._

He frowns deeply. “I’m sorry, Jordan,” he breathes out. He turns Cobb’s heavy, limp body slightly, wiping away some of the dirt that rests on his face. He reaches to take the badge off of Cobb’s belt before rising back up.

“Luke will want to know everyone who died in the line of duty,” Alec states, wiping his thumb across Cobb’s dirtied badge. “They deserve to be remembered.”

Officer Romano emerges from his hiding place, coming over to stand next to Underhill. “He was a good man,” Romano states.

There’s a solemn air that hangs between them at Romano’s words. The grief that lingers is just as fragrant as the smell of blood, gunpowder, and smoke.

“We should get going,” Alec states. “We need to make sure this area stays clear.”

He looks up to see Underhill and Romano, the only other officers left in the squadron, nodding to him.

With a deep breath, he takes out his gun once more. “Which way?” He asks Underhill.

Underhill looks towards the door the Circle members pooled out from. “That way leads to the meet up point for the Delta squadron,” he states. “Luke said they’d be headed towards the basement.”

Alec nods at that, reading his stance as he strides over to the door from with the Circle members came. With his gun at the ready, he creeps into the room, which is just a stairwell.

They tread down the stairwell, eyes glued ahead of them as they progress forward into the basement.

The basement is musty and suffocating, with windowless walls that fail to let in any natural light. Though the lights are on, they cast a yellow-orange glow that only makes it feel more constricting.

“Be on your guard,” Alec warns as he starts down the corridor.

They progress forward, not running into any other Circle members until they reach another storeroom. It’s piled high with boxes on metal shelving, though the size of the room is considerably smaller than the industrial sized room before.

Alec takes a deep breath before starting down the aisle of boxes. He keeps his gun in front of him, his breathing silent, and his ears tuned to any shift in sound.

He turns the corner and—

“Alec watch out!”

He turns, angling himself towards Underhill’s voice behind him; but he’s unable to turn around fully before a shooting pain erupts in his sternum.

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

The jolt of the first blow knocks him back. He stumbles with the second shot, and the third sends him tumbling to the floor. He lands harshly, air escaping his lungs. He gasps for breath, desperate for the oxygen to fill his lungs once more. But it’s useless, he chokes and gasps as the bullets continue to fire around him. It’s an echoing noise almost, sounding so far away. The orange light above him sways gently, and the flashes from gunfire are the only other flickers of light he sees.

There’s distant yelling that reaches his ears amongst the pounds of gunfire. There’s a grip on his shoulders, and his heavy body slides against the floor, away from the dim lights and farther from the muffled fire.

“Breathe, Alec!” A voice calls out to him.

His head spins.

_Where is he?_

It’s dark.

There’s a pounding in his head.

_He can’t breathe—_

He gasps again, trying to rid of the pain that pelts through his chest. It persists, and he convulses with the lack of oxygen.

“Keep breathing in, Lightwood,” the distant voice echoes. “Breathe in.”

He gasps once more, and suddenly his lungs find the air he’d been searching for. His eyes are wide as he sits up quickly, orienting himself with his surroundings. Underhill runs past him, around the corner before more gunfire ensues. There’s squelches from blood spatter and faltering bodies that resonate in the smaller room and it makes Alec’s heart race.

He looks down to his chest with shaky hands, fingers finding the bullet squashed in his vest. He lets out a staggered sigh of disbelief.

_Thank god for bulletproof vests._

He wedges the other two bullets out from his vest before reaching for his gun. He scuffles to his feet, taking another deep breath before racing down the corner.

Bullets are flying.

His adrenaline pumps through his veins and determination wracks through his bones. As soon as he turns the corner, he’s firing with precision and accuracy. Circle members go down one by one as the three of them fire back.

Though he’s been able to evade most of the blows—except those three to the chest—he’s still grazed by a couple of shots. It produces a burn against his skin and clothes, making him seethe as he dodges more shots.

The appearance of the Circle member with the automatic assault rifle is what makes things more precarious.

There’s only about 5 Circle members left when he emerges. Finger fixated on the trigger, he draws up the gun quickly at an angle.

Underhill and Alec seek the cover of nearby boxes fallen from the scuffle.

Romano, however, isn’t as lucky.

With a pained scream, the automatic rifle’s shots hit him in a quick series of bursts. His chest suddenly blooms red, holes appearing in his torso within a blink of an eye. He jolts and jostles, body convulsing as his life rips from his body.

He goes down quickly, blood splattering against the floor loudly.

Alec squeezes his eyes shut as Romano’s body hits the floor. He winces.

_Another man down._

_Another man down on his command._

He shakes himself out of his thoughts. _Now’s not the time to get lost in thought,_ he says to himself. He loads another magazine into his gun before popping back around the corner.

The man with the assault rifle fires off again, and Alec ducks down, rolling against the floor to evade the shot. He rolls forward, headfirst. His feet hit the ground once more, and he’s quick to pop his gun back up and—

_BANG!_

With a single shot, Alec hits him straight between the eyes.

The gun continues to go off as the man reels back, gravity taking his body to the floor. Alec dodges the last of the blows as he and Underhill fight off the other members. Both he and Underhill rush up to the others, using not only their guns, but their physical strength to apprehend the other members.

Alec’s sending elbows into noses, punches into stomachs, and the base of his gun into temples. It’s dirty fighting, and he receives a few blows himself that have his already unstable lungs quivering for breath.

As Alec delivers a swift kick to a Circle member’s jaw, he turns to see one of the last members standing trying to flee for the door.

“Oh no you don’t,” he mumbles. He draws up his gun swiftly, firing without hesitation.

_One._

_Two._

Both sink into the back, and with a strangled cry, the last man goes down.

Alec watches as he hits the floor, with a muted plop. When the Circle member fails to move, Alec takes a large breath, stumbling back again. He wipes the sweat and the spatters of blood from his face, looking around at the lifeless bodies around him. He lets out an uneven breath.

“ _We did it,_ ” he breathes out harshly. The adrenaline is still coursing through him, his senses still all in hyperdrive. “We actually did it, Underhill,” he says with a ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

He expects Underhill’s witty reply, but it doesn’t come.

“Underhill?”

He turns back, eyes searching for his friend and—

Underhill lies against the wall, head leaning back against the wall riddled with bullet holes and a trail of blood leading down towards Underhill’s crumpled form. He breathes out harshly.

Alec’s eyes widen.

“Underhill!”

Alec rushes over to Underhill, slouched against the wall of the doorway. He’s breathing heavily, brow furrowed and blood at his temple from the graze of a bullet. He groans as Alec slides up next to him.

“A-Alec…” He stutters out painfully.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Alec rushes out, shaking his head. “You’re gonna be fine. The bullet just grazed you. It’s probably just shock from—”

His words stop as Underhill’s bloody hand catches his wrist. His eyes widen, trailing down towards the bottom of his bulletproof vest and—

_Blood._

_Lots of blood._

“I’m afraid I didn’t just get grazed,” Underhill says weakly, looking down to his blood-soaked shirt. The bullet seemed to hit right under the hem of his vest. It’s uncertain if it went all the way through, but Alec’s hands are on the wound almost instantly.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Alec assure hurriedly. “We’re not too far in. If you hold on to me, we can walk back out together and—”

Underhill shakes his head delicately. “It’s useless,” he breathes out. “I can’t move my leg. The bullet must’ve shattered my hip. And besides,” he trails, looking back down to his wound. “I’ve lost too much already.”

Alec shakes his head insistently. “Underhill, no. You can’t think like that. We just need to keep applying pressure and get you up to the medical team.”

Underhill coughs, body curling up in pain except for his left leg. _It probably did shatter,_ Alec thinks. He looks back up to Underhill, whose gaze is hazy. It’s as if he’s looking right through him.

“Underhill! Hold on bud, it’s gonna be okay. C’mon, don’t close your eyes.”

“I’m sorry,” Underhill whispers out. “I’m so sorry, Alec…”

Alec pats Underhill’s face gently. “Hey, no, no, no. Don’t do that. C’mon, let’s get you up.” He takes Underhill’s arm and wraps it around his shoulders, and the cold, dead weight of it makes his stomach lurch. He tries to peel Underhill off the wall, but it only earns a pained gasp from him. He lurches forward into a choked gasp, one that is followed by an unsettling amount of blood dripping from his lips.

His breathing is heavy and thick, choking on the blood bubbling in his throat.

“ _Please, Alec,_ ” he pleads silently, “ _Just let me go._ ”

Alec grits his teeth, jaw tensing as he tries once more to lift Underhill up. It earns a sickening squelch from the wound in his side, and as Alec pulls him to his side, he can feel the blood soaking his clothes far too quickly.

_The bullet hit an artery._

_It had to._

Underhill’s weight suddenly becomes far heavier against him, and Alec stumbles slightly at the drastic change.

“ _Put me down, Alec,_ ” Underhill pleads.

Lip trembling, Alec obeys, setting him back down to the floor carefully.

Underhill sighs almost in contentment as he rests against the floor. He rests his head back against the wall, eyes closing as he focuses on his breathing. “T-Thank you,” he stutters out with a halfhearted laugh. The blood paints his teeth a color Alec finds all too unsettling.

His smile fades quickly as he looks up towards the ceiling. “You can’t quit now, Alec,” Underhill forces out, though its garbled due to the liquid rising in his throat. “They need you.” His gaze flutters shut again. “ _Magnus needs you._ ”

Alec nods at that, holding Underhill’s bloody hand in his. He squeezes it gently, and the corners of Underhill’s mouth twitch in appreciation.

“ _Thank you,_ ” Alec whispers.

“Give…Give Luke my best,” Underhill breathes out once more. The sentence is fractured, barely legible through broken gasps and torn vocal chords.

Alec nods again, whispering promises to uphold Underhill’s name. He keeps squeezing his hand, telling him that he won’t leave him alone. It’s barely even a minute of hushed whispers of encouragement and praise and hope from Alec when Underhill slips away. His form sags, the last breath passing through his blood-stained lips. His hand, once tightly woven around Alec’s goes limp, suddenly heavier than it was just seconds ago.

Alec lets in a staggered breath as that familiar feeling washes over him.

He’s almost forgotten what a death such as this feels like. Like getting stabbed, though no knife leaves any indication of it’s piercing within the heart. His form shakes, and there are tears that threaten to fall from his eyes. Emotions build like a tidal wave, ready to drown him in a moment’s notice.

But he can’t stop.

_You can’t quit now, Alec._

He can’t quit.

He has to fight.

For the Downworld.

For the city.

For Underhill.

For Magnus.

Taking a deep breath, he pushes down those feelings that threaten to wash over him. He pushes down the sadness, the pain.

It can wait one more day.

He sits back, slipping his hand from Underhill’s. He looks around at all the death, all the bodies lying lifeless on the floor around him. His heart aches in his chest at the carnage, at the lives that have been lost within the span of time since they stepped foot in this place.

With a sigh, Alec turns his communicator on, hearing the familiar buzz of static in the earpiece. “Alfa squadron, do you copy?”

It’s silent for a minute before the static clears.

“Alec!” Luke’s words call out, echoing in the earpiece. “What’s your status?”

Alec looks back to Underhill who, despite all the blood, looks peaceful. His face no longer shows pain, only a gentle pull of eternal sleep.

Alec tears his gaze away from Underhill’s body to look at his bloodied hands. “The Charlie squadron is down,” he breathes out, voice wavering slightly at the words. “We fell into an ambush. A hidden sniper took out Gorski and Martinez and—” He lets out a harsh exhale. “I’m so sorry, Luke. I should’ve seen the ambush coming and—”

“Alec, listen to me,” Luke’s voice interrupts. “This isn’t your fault. Every officer here today knows the risk and is ready to fight to take down Valentine. You can’t predict an ambush.” Luke’s tone carries sincerity with a weight of assurance. “Do you know your location?”

Alec looks up from his hands, looking around. “I’m in a storeroom…” he trails. “I think Underhill had said we were a few rooms off from meeting the Delta squadron.”

There’s a hum of approval on the other side of the earpiece. “All right,” Luke chimes. “Stay there and don’t move from your position. I’ll send someone from the Delta squadron to come down and get you and—"

It’s at that moment a blood-curdling scream rips through the air, making Alec jolt from where he’s sitting. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge, and he rips out the earpiece, Luke’s words fading in the distance as he looks around to find the direction of the scream.

It’s silent for a minute.

_Two._

He nearly skyrockets when the second scream pierces the air.

It sounds louder than before, perhaps since Alec took out the earpiece. But now it resonates off the walls, echoing in his ears. As it fades, Alec hears a distant cry.

“…off!” The distant voice calls out desperately. “—elp! Someone help me— _AH_!”

One more scream, far louder than any of the others, rings out.

And it’s then that Alec’s racing mind recognizes it.

_Magnus._

_That’s Magnus’ scream._

His body, once weighed down by the regret of his actions, suddenly lifts from the ground. He’s hyperaware once again, thoughts racing miles a minute. He scrambles for his gun, cocking it as he stumbles up from his spot on the floor. He can hear Magnus’ strangled cries echoing in his ears as he runs through the room, careful not to trip on the bodies of fallen comrades and Circle members.

He races through the room, down the hall with impossible speed. His body is on autopilot, mind focusing only on one thing.

_Magnus is going to die._

As he races down the hall, the sounds of struggling get progressively louder. Before he turns the corner to the next room, Alec stops, stalling his harsh breathing and drawing his gun close to his chest. He takes a deep breath before he turns the corner quickly, spilling into the next room.

What welcomes him is something from his worst nightmare. There Valentine stands in the middle of the room with an arm securing Magnus’ wrists behind his back and a long, sharp knife pressed against Magnus’ throat. Magnus’ wears a look of pure terror, and his breathing is irregular.

“Drop the knife, Valentine,” Alec warns, stepping a bit closer.

“You know I can’t do that,” Valentine replies, taking another step back and pressing the knife closer to Magnus’ neck. Magnus’ breath hitches.

“A-Alec,” Magnus stammers out. “I’m so sorry. I tried to fight him, but—” Valentine suddenly cuts him off as his grip tightens. He closes his eyes and his lower lip trembles.

“Let him go,” Alec persists. “He’s done nothing to you.”

“Done nothing to—?” Valentine laughs. “That’s where you’re wrong. These…these _vermin_ are a plague, a disease. If we let them live, they’ll kill us all. Don’t you see I’m doing this for the good of our people?”

“Alec, shoot him!” Magnus pleads. “Please!”

Alec’s hands shake. He can’t take the shot, not with Magnus in the way. There’s too much risk. If he doesn’t hit at just the right spot, Magnus will get shot too.

_Magnus will die._

“ _Please Alec, shoot!_ ” Magnus breathes out desperately. He tries to struggle a bit from Valentine’s grasp, but it’s a fruitless attempt. He winces, letting out a painful rasp that echoes in Alec’s ears. Valentine presses the blade firmly against Magnus’ neck, pressing in just so that the skin bends beneath the weight of the metal blade.

One movement, and Magnus will fall, bleeding out on the floor.

As he secures Magnus in his hold, Valentine looks back up at Alec with a smug look in his eye. “You heard him,” he rouses, “Shoot. But just know that if you do…” He looks back down to Magnus, who’s eyes have squeezed shut. “Your precious Warlock here will paint the floor red.” Magnus winces once more. “I’m sure he’d look striking against all that red, wouldn’t you agree?”

Alec’s blood boils under his skin, rage coursing through his veins.

He wants to shoot so _fucking badly._ But he can’t. He can’t shoot now. If he does, there’s a possibility he could hit Magnus. But at the same time, if Alec doesn’t shoot, then Valentine will drag the knife against Magnus’ throat, letting him bleed out all over the floor.

Either way, Magnus will die.

The gun rattles in his shaking hands.

_He can’t._

He looks past the barrel of the gun towards Magnus, who wears a pleading, desperate look. Tears gloss his dark eyes and his lips tremble slightly. He’s scared, it’s obvious as ever.

He’s afraid of dying _._

Alec lowers his arms slightly, his breath coming in shuddered inhales and exhales. It feels like he’s the one dying almost, knowing that whatever he does now, one way or another, will get Magnus killed.

“ _You promised_ ,” he manages to get out, voice wavering as his gun shakes in his hands. Tears prick at his eyes and his insides seep with distress. “You promised me you’d be safe…”

“ _I know,_ ” Magnus whispers out. “I’m so sorry, Alec.”

He can’t do this. He can’t shoot. Magnus is too close to Valentine; poised and held in a way that he won’t be able to take a clear shot at Valentine without hitting Magnus.

He can’t take the shot.

He can’t—

 “Alexander,” Magnus’ cool voice cuts in. Alec looks up from the top of his gun to see Magnus’ dark eyes staring at him. Valentine still presses the knife to his throat, but Magnus has stopped struggling against his hold. Those all too familiar soft, brown eyes are stormy, saddened by the predicament they currently find themselves in. “There was no happier time in my life than when I was with you. I’ve spent years trying to find myself, to prove to myself that somehow I could be more than an abomination.” He swallows thickly. “You showed me I was more than what others thought of me. You made me… _feel loved,_ which is something no one could have done before.”

“You freed me, Alexander. When no one else believed me, when they all were convinced I killed those people, you still believed.” Magnus’ eyes grow watery. “And you only doubted me when I was being difficult. But even then, you never abandoned me.” A smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “And thanks to you…I was able to come back to the Downworld, to prove to my people that what Camille painted me as was false. You’ve given me so much, Alexander, and for that, I cannot find enough words to thank you.” His look grows sad again. “So shoot. I don’t care what happens to me anymore. You’ve given me everything I could have asked for, and I owe you my life. _Please, Alec_.”

Each word Magnus speaks drips melancholy. His pleading words shake Alec’s frame, the gun quivering in his hands. Magnus _knows_ that there’s only one way to end this, and he knows the likelihood of him getting out alive is slim-to-none.

Alec knows Magnus doesn’t want to die. Throughout all the time they were together, not once did he ever wish for death. Yet here he is now, begging for it from the one he loves most.

_He would rather die by the hand of the man he loves than by the satisfaction of the man pressing a blade against his throat._

Hot tears slide down his cheeks.

_I’m sorry, Magnus._

With determination in his gaze, he aims the gun.

_I’m so sorry, Magnus._

He looks to Magnus over the barrel of his gun just in time to see Magnus mouth a silent phrase against his tear stained face.

_I love you._

With dread and anger and fear coursing all through his body, he aims for Valentine. Magnus is right in his line of sight.

_He’s going to kill Magnus._

He exhales.

“ _I love you too,_ ” he breathes out.

He pulls the trigger.

The sound itself is deafening. Alec can hear the sharp bang of the gun, can feel the slight kickback of the gun through his fingers to his shoulders. It’s both blindingly fast and tremendously slow. The realization of the fact that he took the shot is slow, but as soon as Alec blinks, Valentine is wide eyed, blade dropping from his hands as he falls back to the floor. The ringing in Alec’s hears keeps him from hearing the body flub to the ground. He’s just about to lower his gun when Magnus falls.

His eyes suddenly go wide. Magnus falls to the ground too, almost a second after Valentine. He’s motionless, and the reality finally dawns on him.

_He took the shot._

He glances to Valentine for any signs of life.

None.

He glances to Magnus, about to praise him for his help when he sees red.

Alec’s eyes widen.

_It’s red._

Magnus lies motionless on the floor, faced away from Alec; a steady pool of red building underneath his head.

Alec stops breathing.

_He shot him._

Suddenly he doesn’t care anymore about the possibility of Valentine getting up. He doesn’t care about the threat that Circle members could come swarming in at any moment. There’s only one thing he cares about.

_Magnus._

His hands shake as he lowers the gun quickly, almost running over to Magnus’ side.

_There’s blood._

_There’s so much blood._

An ugly, gasping sob rips from Alec’s lungs as he abandons his gun by his side. It clatters to the floor forgotten as his trembling hands hover over Magnus’ unmoving body.

“God no…p-please no. No. No. NO!” Alec’s breath shudders with every word, choking on the tears and agony that is bursting through every blood vessel, every bone and nerve in his body. His hands press against Magnus, turning him over.

He’s heavy to turn, completely lax against Alec’s movements. He turns the body first, then the face second and—

_Oh god._

_There’s so much blood._

He did it. _He took the shot._ He…

_He killed Magnus._

His trembling hands are all over Magnus, framing his bloody face and speaking in broken, choked pleas. “Please, Magnus _please don’t leave me,_ ” he cries out.

Magnus lays still, expressionless and motionless against Alec’s movements. His pleas are unheard, Magnus’ hand still heavy in his own.

It gets hazy with tears, and with another garbled sob, Alec’s head falls to Magnus’ chest, clutching his hand close to his own heart. He can feel the familiar cool sensation of his Lightwood ring around Magnus’ finger. The ring of their promise…

 

_I want this to be my reminder…a reminder that I love you so much, so unconditionally and wholly_

 

A fresh wave of tears falls over him as he cries into Magnus’ chest.

_He killed Magnus._

_He killed him._

_He—_

He almost doesn’t register it, almost misses it completely when the grip against his fingers tightens slightly.

It’s so slight, almost featherlight, but he feels it.

His gaze shoots up immediately from where he’s been crying on Magnus’ chest. He looks down to see Magnus’ hands in his, the subtle twitch of fingers pressing against him.

He looks up to Magnus’ face just in time to see his dark brows scrunch slightly. There’s a silent, pained groan that rumbles from Magnus’ chest.

“ _I don’t suppose you have a bandage on you…do you?_ ” Magnus chuckles out breathily, eyes fluttering open just slightly to look over at Alec. He angles his head towards his boyfriend, the right side of his face smeared with blood.

Alec’s breath leaves his lungs again, but instead of in sorrow, it’s in upmost joy. His heart stutters, and he lunges forward, pressing his lips to Magnus’. He doesn’t care about the metallic taste of Magnus’ lips from the blood. No, none of that matters.

_Magnus is alive._

He presses his hands to the sides of Magnus’ face, and that’s when Magnus hisses in pain, pulling away as much as he can in their current position.

“As much as I love your kisses darling,” he starts. “I really need a cloth or something.”

Alec pulls away just enough to see the extent of _why_ Magnus’ face is covered in blood. Though the bullet _did_ hit Valentine, it looks like he wasn’t able to totally keep Magnus out of the line of fire.

It’s a sharp cut from the apple of his cheek to outer cusp of his ear, bleeding profusely at the sudden vessels that have opened. Alec fishes out a cloth from his belt and hands it to Magnus. “It looks like the bullet grazed you,” Alec informs, trying to steady his voice from his earlier cries. He presses the cloth to the cut and Magnus seethes again. “Sorry.”

Magnus just shakes his head slightly, his hand coming to rest over Alec’s on the cloth that soaks up the blood. There’s a firmer pressure they both put on the wound to stop the bleeding. “Don’t be. You took the shot,” he states plainly. “I’m proud of you Alec.”

“But at what cost?” Alec counters back, voice wavering once more. His eyes roam over Magnus’ features. “ _I almost lost you_.”

There’s a ghost of a smile that pulls at Magnus’ lips. “Please,” he states teasingly, “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Alec lets out a breathy laugh in disbelief as he leans in to press another kiss to Magnus’ lips. They sit there for a while, pressing the cloth against Magnus’ cut until the wound finally stops bleeding. Alec takes away the cloth carefully, surveying the damage of the cut.

“I think you’ll be fine,” Alec starts out, lightly pushing a finger against Magnus’ chin to turn his face towards Alec. His brows furrow at the cut. It’s hard to see because of all the blood smeared on his face. “It doesn’t look like it’ll need stitches, either.”

“That’s good to hear,” Magnus states, his gaze falling. “I’ll need to get some medicine though so it doesn’t leave a scar.”

“Well that’s no fun,” Alec counters. “I could have a badass boyfriend who has a killer face scar and is part of a gang.” He shrugs with a playful smile on his face. “I mean, is that cool or what?”

Magnus snorts, shoving his shoulder away playfully. “You’re impossible.”

They share another bit of breathy laughter before Magnus’ dies out, a more somber expression falling over his features. He looks over to where Valentine fell. “Is he dead?”

Alec breaks his gaze on Magnus to look over at Valentine’s body. He carefully rises from where he sits next to Magnus, taking his gun back in his hands and slowly closing in on the body. When he finally gets close enough, he peers down to see the pool of red soaking into Valentine’s clothes. There’s a bullet hole, clean and precise, in his neck around the area that houses the internal jugular vein, carotid artery, and sternothyroid muscles. He still wears the same wide-eyed look as when he fell, mouth partly open. His chest fails to move.

Alec lowers his gun.

“Yeah, he’s dead.”

“Good riddance,” he breathes out, turning his gaze away from Valentine and rubbing his hands across his face in distress. His breath shudders unevenly, and when Alec turns he can see Magnus tugging lightly at the long strands of his hair.

Alec turns away from Valentine, back towards Magnus. He sits down next to him, rubbing his back lightly as Magnus uneven breathing continues. He mumbles small whispers of endearment and comfort to Magnus, trying to calm him down a little bit.

“It’s over, Magnus,” he whispers out, leaning down to press a kiss to the base of Magnus’ neck. “Valentine is dead. You’re safe.”

There’s a choked sob that comes from Magnus as he folds in over himself. “ _I was so scared,_ ” he confesses breathily.

Alec’s heart hurts at that, and he leans forward, pressing his chest to Magnus’ back and wrapping his arms around him tightly. He presses his face into the crook of Magnus’ neck and breathes in, gently swaying Magnus back and forth, pressing chaste kisses to the exposed skin of his neck.

Minutes of silence pass between them like this before Magnus’ breathing finally levels out.

He exhales slowly, rubbing his hand across Alec’s forearm before speaking up.

“We should go,” he says, effectively breaking the silence. “I don’t want to wait for more Circle members to show up.”

Alec pulls away from Magnus at that, nodding gently at the statement. He rises carefully, helping Magnus stand. “Luke said the Delta squadron wasn’t too far from here,” he starts, looking around the room only to see that the way he entered is the only exit. “If we can get to them, they can get you to the medical tent to patch this up.” He gestures to the cut on Magnus’ cheek.

Magnus looks up to meet his gaze and nods. He looks back towards the entrance. “The way out is to the left. We can cut through a couple of rooms to get to the west stairwell. My guess is that they’d probably be stationed there. It’s the only other way down into the basement.”

“Then let’s get going,” Alec agrees, slipping his hand into Magnus’ with a gentle smile. He presses a kiss to Magnus’ lips before leading him out of the room and down the halls.

Their feet patter against the dusty floors as they run, all while they search around carefully for other Circle members. As they move, Magnus directs them towards the west stairwell.

“If you turn into this next room, we can cut through it and avoid another crowded supply room,” Magnus advises.

Alec cuts to the left, towards the room that Magnus directs him to. He lets go of Magnus’ hand to unclip his gun from its holster. He pushes a new magazine into the bottom of it and readies it by his chest as he turns into the next room.

He swarms into the room quickly, surveying it and—

Magnus runs into the room, seconds behind him while Alec stops in his tracks. Magnus bumps into his back.

“Oof!” He stumbles back slightly. “Alexander what is—” His eyes go wide. “—it?”

In the center of the room surrounding the large pillar in the middle lies several palettes housing a large quantity of explosives. On the pillar, a countdown timer ticks down.

“ _Holy shit_.”

“That’s a lot of C-4,” Magnus breathes out. His eyes are wide as he surveys the room. Alec walks forward towards the explosives.

“Magnus, we need to get out of here,” Alec says, turning back to Magnus. “It’s counting down. We need to get out of here, _now_.”

Alec tries to push him back towards where they came, but Magnus still him. “Alec, wait. Look,” he nods to the pillar. “That…that’s a major gas line. If this blows—”

“ _Fuck,_ ” Alec breathes out, he walks over to a briefcase that sits on one the palettes. He opens it up. It has the standard components of any IED, he notices: the switch, initiator, container, charge, and power source. He takes a breath, fiddling with his earpiece. “Luke! Luke, do you copy?”

“Alec! Are you okay? What’s your status?”

Alec looks over his shoulder to Magnus. “I’m fine, Luke. I…I found Magnus. He’s fine.”

“And Valentine? Have you heard anything?”

He nods. “He held Magnus at knifepoint, Luke. I had to shoot him. There wasn’t any other way.” Alec licks his lips in nervousness, turning back to the bomb. “Is everyone out of the building?”

“Most of them, but we’re still getting people—”

“Get as many people out as you can and get bomb squad down here, now,” Alec interrupts, his hands beginning to shake. “Looks like Valentine was going to go out with a bang. Literally.”

Luke is silent, most likely issuing orders to the others.

“Alexander…” Magnus trails in a warning tone, pulling at his bulletproof vest slightly. “I think we might have a bit of company.”

Alec turns, and sure enough, the heavy march of footsteps sound through the halls again.

_Fuck._

He quickly holsters his gun as he rips apart the Velcro of his bulletproof vest. He shoves it into Magnus’ hands. “Here, wear that.”

“Alexander, I can’t—”

“You will, Magnus,” Alec interrupts. “You have to wear it. I can’t have you getting shot on my account.”

“But—!”

“Magnus,” Alec pleads. “ _Please._ I can’t risk losing you a second time.”

Magnus’ dark eyes drift down to the vest, fingers brushing against the bright white letters painted across the front. He sighs with a whispered _okay_ before he starts to put the vest over his torso.

Alec reaches back to unclip his gun from the holster on his hip before looking back to Magnus, who has effectively secured the bulletproof vest around himself. It puts a bit more ease on Alec’s racing mind.

“Can you fire a gun?”

Magnus’ gaze shoots up to Alec, brows furrowed in confusion. “Huh?”

Alec doesn’t wait for him to ask any more questions before he bends down, unclipping the other gun concealed in his ankle holster. He makes sure it’s loaded at tosses it to Magnus, who catches it a bit shakily. “Well then you’re about to learn. Turn off the safety and get behind something.” He frowns. “This might get messy.”

Magnus nods hesitantly before ducking behind a couple of crates off to the side.

Alec turns back to the entry way, pointing his gun towards the doorway.

The marching footsteps grow louder, heavier.

Alec takes a deep breath, feeling the adrenaline thrumming through his body once more.

As the first three Circle members rush around the corner, Alec immediately aims, focusing his gaze on the incoming assailants. It’s then he notices that all of them are equipped with semi-automatic rifles while he only has the Glock in his hands.

_There are worse odds._

Upon turning the corner, the Circle members see Alec, and they’re quick to aim their guns at him, shooting out bullets at fast speeds. Alec ducks down quickly, rolling swiftly across the floor until he seeks shelter behind a metal crate. The shots continue, and he waits for an opportunity.

The moment the shots stop, he jumps up from his hiding place. Arms steady, he presses the trigger and—

_BANG!_

One member goes down without Alec even firing a shot. With furrowed brows, he has just enough time to see that Magnus has popped up from the crates and fired a shot. Alec focuses back on the other two members, firing his own series of shots while simultaneously dodging all the bullets he can. He gets grazed by a couple, and the familiar burn of the bullet cracking against the edge of his skin only heightens his adrenaline.

As the last of the three goes down, he hears Magnus call out “Get the gun!”

Alec jumps over his cover, running quickly over towards the bodies of the dead members. He’s hyperaware of the rushed footsteps behind him.

“Cover me!” He yells to Magnus before diving down to the bodies lying limp on the floor. He’s quick to holster his Glock and turn to pick up the semi-automatic’s—Mini Draco AK47’s, he notices—before turning back towards the entryway.

Magnus shoots from behind him, and his precise aim takes down a few more, while Alec’s shots from the semi-automatics take care of the others Magnus misses. Alec rolls away from the other bodies, careful not to get into Magnus’ line of fire as he takes out the stragglers who dodge his blows.

As another series of shots fires, he recedes back behind cover. He throws one of the used semi’s out, letting it clatter and slide across the floor before he pops back up, firing another series of shots.

He takes down a few other Circle members before the ammo on the second semi runs out. With a frustrated grunt, he chucks it aside, trading it back for his Glock.

“Alec!” Luke’s voice chimes in through the earpiece suddenly. “Bomb squad is on their way! Get out of there!”

He huffs, pressing his finger to the earpiece while trying to hear Luke’s voice over the bullets. “As much as I’d _love_ to get out of here,” he drawls, wincing as another round of shots rings out. “We’ve got a bit of company and—

“Alec!” Magnus yells out, and Alec pops back up just in time to see Magnus get punched in the face by a Circle member far too close. He’s just about to get out of cover before another series of shots is directed at him.

_Fuckfuckfuck._

He seethes as the shots continue. He can’t stay here for long, or they’ll close around him. He looks around the corner of the table to see Magnus getting pulled by the long strands of his hair. His face is distorted in agony, fingers gripping, trying desperately to release the hold on his hair.

_He has to get to Magnus._

Alec looks around, cursing inwardly as the only semi’s around him are out of ammo. God, if he just had a different gun he could—

In that same train of thought, there’s a loud clatter, and not a second later does another Mini Draco come sliding up next to him. His eyes widen as he goes for the gun, looking around the table simultaneously to see Magnus using hand-to-hand combat against the guy who held him captive.

Alec—still lying on the floor—cocks the gun, aiming it effectively at those who have turned their guns towards Magnus. He shoots them down quickly, rising up and shooting another two members who come running through the doorway.

As soon as they go down, he turns over towards Magnus, who sends the Circle member backwards towards the floor. He lands harshly, but turns just quickly enough to grab another semi off the floor and aim it towards Magnus.

Fortunately enough, Alec is quicker.

With a shot or two, the Circle member falls back against the ground with two bullet wounds in his head.

Magnus huffs, stumbling back a bit as he turns back towards Alec. “Nice shot,” he says a bit breathlessly.

Alec shrugs playfully, lips quirking up in a smile. “Thanks, but I couldn’t have done it without my amazing boyfriend to kick me the gun.”

Magnus gives a lighthearted chuckle before walking over and taking the semi out of the Circle member’s hand. He turns to Alec, whose gaze directs over to the bomb on the wall.

 

_Five minutes._

 

Just enough time to—

“Goddamn it,” Magnus curses as more footsteps race towards their location. “They just keep on coming.”

Alec hands over his semi to Magnus, who wears another confused look. “Take it. I’ve got this.”

Magnus shakes his head, grabbing the semi from Alec’s hands. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Officer.”

Alec smirks at the teasing nickname before he directs his attention back to the entrance, running over towards the opening. He presses against the wall, concealing himself in such a way that he can get the upper hand.

He takes another deep breath.

The footsteps hit the floor harshly, thwapping against the threshold and—

Alec jumps out from his hiding place suddenly, rushing up to the first Circle member who runs through the door, delivering a rather forceful punch across the side of his face.

The man grunts, turning to Alec. Hands on his gun, he goes to angle it towards Alec, but Alec is quicker to react, taking a hold of the barrel and jerking the strap on it so that it wraps around the man’s arm. Forcefully, he pulls until he hears the audible snap of the arm bending under the pressure. The man cries out in pain as Alec ducks behind him, using the Circle member’s body as a shield while he fires the gun at the remaining members in the doorway.

As he shoots the last member coming through the doorway, the man he used as a shield, though sustaining a couple of bullet wounds, seems to have enough fight to resist him. He pushes back, making Alec stumble backwards. The gun slips off his broken arm, clattering to the ground.

With a yell, the Circle member comes rushing at him. Alec is quick to dodge the punch from the man’s good arm, ducking and delivering a couple of firm punches to his gut and chest. The man gasps out, stumbling backwards just enough so that Alec can shift his weight to one foot, arms pressed to his chest before he turns and—

_BAM!_

With a quick turn, he delivers a complete, flawless roundhouse kick, sending the man hurtling down to the floor with a loud thud. Alec takes a second to catch his breath, watching carefully to see if he moves.

He doesn't.

With a deep exhale, he sags, looking back over to Magnus, who wears a wide-eyed look.

“Okay,” Magnus breathes out, lowering the guns he barely took a shot from. He looks up at Alec, an unbelievable smile pulling at one side of his lips. “ _That_ was hot.”

Alec laughs again at that.

A second later, Luke’s voice chimes in the earpiece once more.

“Alec!” He calls out almost desperately. “Alec, do you copy?”

“Copy,” he replies, pressing his fingers to the earpiece. “We were swarmed by Circle members, but we seem to have gotten most of them.”

“Alec, you two need to get out of there now,” he states. “Before more Circle members get there or before it’s too late.”

Alec shakes his head. “Luke, we can’t do that,” he argues, looking back to Magnus, who nods and mouths _I’m okay_ back at him. “We can keep this place secure until bomb squad gets here.” He looks to the entryway. “How far away are they?”

“About 5 minutes out,” Luke responds through the earpiece.

Alec turns back to look at the bomb, eyes fixating on the bright red numbers that count down on the timer.

 

_Two minutes._

 

Alec’s eyes shift to Magnus, who looks back to him with the same worried glint in his eyes. “Luke, this place will blow in two minutes,” he says, voice wavering. “This bomb is attached to a gas line, and even if everyone is out of the building, with the amount of C-4 here, the whole block will go up in flames. We can’t wait on bomb squad.”

Luke seems to realize what he’s insinuating. “Alec, no—”

“I have to defuse this Luke, we don’t have time.”

“Alec—!”

Alec takes out his earpiece, taking a deep breath and striding past Magnus and over to where the bomb sits silently around the pillar. As his hazel eyes roam across the contents of the bomb, his hands shake in nervousness.

Magnus steps up next to him. “Alexander,” he calls out, voice filled with worry. A hand rests gently across Alec’s right shoulder in support.

He swallows thickly. “It’s a simple homemade IED,” Alec informs, though it sounds more like he’s talking to himself. He opens up the silver briefcase that sits on top of a pile of C-4, and the case opens to show a plethora of multicolored wires, each tangled up and connecting to different parts of the mechanism. “Valentine was a military war hero, so naturally one could assume he’d stay pretty rooted to typical bomb mechanics.”

Magnus’ brows furrow at the sight of the bomb. “…Do you know bomb mechanics?” He asks hesitantly.

Alec lets out a nervous breath. “Only the basics.”

“ _Alexander_ —”

Alec reaches for his belt, fingers fumbling with the pocket on his right side until he opens it, drawing out an old pocket knife of his. “The framework is very similar to what I remember,” he states. He looks up, over to Magnus; hazel eyes meet dark brown. “You may want to back up.”

Magnus frowns, and instead of moving back, he steps closer. The hand on his shoulder lowers so that it presses into the small of Alec’s back. “I’m not going anywhere.” He looks to the bomb. “So, what’s next?”

“The trick is to render the sensor inactive without letting the detonator think that it’s time to go.” Alec frowns. “But this son of a bitch built this by himself and used a multitude of wires.” He shakes his head. “And it’s not guaranteed that he assembled it as most manuals instruct. A smart man would plant a trip wire to look like the right one to cut.”

“Here’s hoping Valentine was an idiot.”

Alec chuckles a bit, but it dies as soon as the timer hits one minute. His breath hitches. “Typically, you have a set of wires that hook the explosive up to the mainframe of the bomb, while another set of wires connects the detonator to the same mainframe.” Alec frowns, surveying the curls and intricacies of the wires surrounding the bomb. “But with the multitude of these wires, it’s almost impossible to—" He cuts himself off. “Damn you, Valentine.”

Magnus’ eyes search over the wires. “Over 20 multicolored wires and we know nothing of which one they’re connected to. I’m not so crazy about these odds.”

Alec’s eyes trail over a couple of wires. His hands are shaking more with each tick of the timer as it goes down. “It should be…one of these two,” he gestures. “If he stayed true to the original design…” He lifts his shaking hand to one of the wires.

 

_Forty-five seconds._

 

He hooks the sharp edge of the knife under the yellow wire.

He can feel the pressure of Magnus’ hand against his back increase slightly.

Holding his breath, he pulls upward.

The wire cuts.

 

_Thirty seconds._

 

There’s a brief pause in the timer, and Alec and Magnus breathe a sigh of relief.

_They did it._

He steps back, breath suddenly releasing from his lungs as he turns to Magnus, who looks up from the bomb to meet his gaze. A smile of disbelief floods his features, eyes warming up like the summer sun.

“Alexander, you’re—”

A loud beep interrupts Magnus, and the both of them snap their gazes back towards the timer. It’s then that they notice the countdown starts to resume; however, the seconds are passing faster, far more quickly than before.

Magnus’ eyes widen. “Alec!”

Alec fumbles over the bomb in haste.

His brain short circuits.

_He didn’t cut the right wire._

_They’re going to die._

“F-Fuck, um—” Alec fumbles for the knife. “Blue…green…red…” His breath shudders. “M-Magnus, I can’t—”

 

_Twenty seconds._

 

_Nineteen._

 

_Eighteen._

 

“Think, Alexander,” Magnus’ voice echoes out, surprisingly calm despite their current situation. “Think about Valentine. How would he set up a bomb like this?”

 

_Seventeen._

 

“Valentine was a narcissist, and he considered himself a war hero. You said he served time in Iran and Vietnam, and won one of the most honorable medals known to—”

 

_Sixteen._

 

“Red, white, green…” Alec mutters under his breath, eyes roaming over the various chords of the bomb.

 

_Fifteen._

 

The gears turn in his brain.

 

_Fourteen._

 

It’s all about Valentine…it’s his story…

 

_Thirteen._

 

“Magnus! There are 5 colors here. Each represents something.”

 

_Twelve._

 

“Like you said, Valentine was a narcissist, so this is all about him. He served in two places: Iran and Vietnam.”

 

_E_ _leven._

 

“Think of the flag colors, Magnus,” he rushes out, looking to Magnus with a nervous gaze. “What are the flag colors?”

 

_Ten._

 

Magnus stammers. “U-Uh, Iran’s is red, green, and white. Then Vietnam’s is—”

 

_Nine._

 

“Two colors. Red—”

 

_Eight._

 

“And yellow,” Magnus finishes.

 

_Seven._

 

“There’s five colors here, those flags make four.”

 

_Six._

 

“He devoted himself to America, our flag is three colors. Red, white, and blue,” he stutters out. He lifts the knife towards the wires again.

 

_Five._

 

His hands shake.

“Only one color is different between the three flags: blue.”

 

_Four._

 

He raises his knife to the blue cords jumbled in the box. “Magnus?”

Magnus looks up to meet him.

 

_Three._

 

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” Magnus says back. And that’s the incentive Alec gives to tug at the blue wire.

 

_Two._

 

The wire bends against the sharp edge of the blade.

 

_One._

 

The wire splits in two, and Alec’s hands drop the knife, turning quickly to Magnus and drawing him in for one last searing, meaningful kiss. It’s messy and rushed, but Alec doesn’t care.

It’s their last kiss.

It’s the kiss that will last a lifetime.

Alec melts into the kiss, movements slowing as he savors everything about the kiss: the way Magnus’ lips slide against his, the way his breath mingles and warms against his skin littered with nervous goosebumps. His hands are everywhere, climbing up the expanse of Magnus’ back up to the buzzed edges of his hair, framing his face to deepen the kiss and slide his tongue against Magnus’.

Their movements slow down a bit more, the rushed quality to them fading into the air. The need for oxygen pulls at Alec’s lungs, and they continually slow their movements until a brief pause falls upon them, separating their lips. They say nothing, huffing. Uncertainty picks at Alec’s brain.

His brows furrow.

_It’s been far longer than a second._

He pulls back fully from Magnus, searching his face for answers he can’t supply. Magnus seems to wear the same incredulous, yet distressed look. Their breathing is erratic, but Alec can’t help but feel the strange sense of curiosity lurching in his stomach.

_It’s been far longer than a second._

He finally tears his gaze away from Magnus, looking to the timed detonator that lies against the pillar. His eyes widen.

The countdown shows only one thing.

 

0:00:01

 

“ _Oh my god,_ ” Alec hears Magnus say breathlessly. “Alexander…” he turns to Alec. “Alexander, you did it.” An unbelievable smile tugs at the corner of his lips as he huffs out a laugh. “You did it!”

Magnus leaps forward into Alec’s arms, and Alec swirls him around, laughing like a child.

_He did it._

He stops turning, lowering Magnus to the ground. He takes a minute to just appreciate how _beautiful_ Magnus looks: how his eyes glow under the fluorescent lights, how his smile brightens his face, how he just looks at Alec like he’s the only one in the room—

Well, technically he is the only other person in the room alive, but he doesn’t focus on that.

Alec brushes the pads of his fingers across Magnus’ cheekbones and smiles down at him. “We did it, Magnus.”

Magnus beams up at him as they share another laugh. He pulls Alec closer, tugging at his vest so that they meet in a series of both chaste and passionate kisses. They laugh through most of them, the kisses more clumsy than usual.

_They did it._

He’s not really sure how long they sit there for, but he knows it’s just long enough as the bomb squad rushes into the area. There are people checking the bodies of Circle members while others pursue forth. One of the masked soldiers comes over to them.

“Let’s get you two back up to the others,” they say, albeit a bit muffled.

Alec looks back to Magnus, squeezing his hand gently in his own. He gives a soft smile, leaning in to press a kiss to Magnus’ temple.

“C’mon Magnus,” he coos. “Let’s get out of here.”

 

~~~~

 

The sun never seemed so bright.

He’ll never forget coming out of the building with Magnus around his arm. They’re still running on the high from earlier, and Alec can’t help but beam at Magnus. They’re covered in dirt and blood, and there are bruises beginning to form on the both of them. Magnus’ clothes are messy underneath the bulletproof vest, and the makeup he wore earlier is smeared—thanks to Alec—but he can’t help but think how _beautiful_ he is.

Izzy pushes past the barricade and runs into Alec’s arms. Her frame shakes with smothered sobs that Alec can feel against his chest.

She steps back enough to give Alec an aggressive push backwards. “Fuck you!” She yells out, wiping the tears in her eyes. “You scared us so badly, Alec! You go in blindly defusing a bomb without any way to reach you,” she trails off, the stiffness in her shoulders relaxes slightly as she sniffles. “I was so worried, Alec. I thought you—”

Alec pulls her quickly into a warm hug, burying his face into her shoulder. He breathes in, taking in her faint flowery perfume. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes softly. He pulls back, smiling a bit. “But I couldn’t think with all the voices in my head.”

“Idiot,” she sniffles, offering a gentle smile to her brother. Her gaze falls to his chest, and she squeezes his arms reassuringly. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Alec gives another loving smile to her, and it’s not a moment later that Luke comes over.

“You gave us quite the scare,” he quips, patting Alec’s shoulder. “You’ve done well, Lightwood.”

Alec mouths a silent thank you before looking back to Magnus, who only beams back at him. He takes a deep breath.

_It’s almost over._

 

~~~~

 

Getting fully reinstated might have been one of the most memorable moments of his life.

He remembers handing in his resignation letter to Lydia, who understood perfectly why he was leaving.

 _“You aren’t mad?_ ” He asked curiously.

Lydia only shook her head. “ _You were an amazing cop, Alec. Anyone could see it. I must confess,”_ she trailed, looking up from her files, “ _I met with Magnus before I assigned you the case. In talking with him, I immediately knew that what was in those files resembled nothing about the man who sat before me. With your skills as a cop, I knew that you would also make the connections I did. Therefore, I thought it best to assign you to this case._ ” A small smile tugged at her lips. _“And now, seeing you with Magnus and the BPD…it’s where you belong._ ”

And so here he is, nearly six weeks after walking out of that storehouse, swearing in to the Brooklyn Police Department.

As he descends from the stage, he’s greeted by Izzy who runs up to him and gives him one of the biggest hugs, all while singing praises and encouragements about being sworn in.

“Well would you look at that,” another voice chimes in. “My brother finally has proven he can kick ass both in the field _and_ in court.”

Alec turns at the voice, but not before he can catch Izzy’s bright smile. He turns to see Jace donning a content smile while dressed in a grey suit with a white button down and a salmon tie. He beams at Alec.

“How you doing, buddy?” He asks, opening his arms up.

Alec smiles at him, striding forward and giving an encapsulating hug to his brother. He pats him on the back before pulling away to look across his face. “Well you know how it is,” he shrugs. “I just won one of the biggest cases of my career _and_ got sworn into the Brooklyn Police Force.” He shakes his head on a laugh. “But what about you?” He asks. “I thought you were in Jersey for a case.”

“I was,” Jace starts. “But a break in our case wrapped it up a couple of days ago.” He looks away, searching the crowd of people. “Lydia said she was here, so I was going to surprise her with the news, but I guess I’ll find her later.”

Alec smiles back at his brother. “It’s good to have you back, buddy.”

“You too,” Jace agrees.

It’s a few minutes of casual conversations, catching up on months of life between the siblings before Luke comes over, congratulating Alec on being fully reinstated to the Brooklyn PD. The other members, Raj and Alaric among the many, approach him soon after, all extending their full welcomes and praises to their newest member.

To Alec’s surprise, Aline and some other members of Manhattan’s precinct are there too. He gives Aline one of the biggest hugs he’s ever given her, twirling her around happily and thanking the officers for their support. 

But out of all of the people who Alec’s surprised to see there is Maryse.

He hasn’t seen or heard from his mother since his initial transfer to the BPD back in November. But as she stands amongst the crowd, Alec can tell something is different about her. She no longer holds a rigid posture, and her hair flows a bit more freely than when it was constrained back into a tight ponytail. She’s not in uniform either. Perhaps Robert is—he thinks—wherever he may be.

He meets his mother’s eyes across the way, and they convey a sort of storminess in them. Alec strides forward towards her.

“You came,” he says tersely.

“Of course,” she replies, looking over his form. A soft smile pulls at her mouth at the sight of the badge on his chest. “This is an important part of my son’s life.”

She doesn’t say anything more, and Alec assumes that’s all she has to say. Wordlessly, he turns to find Magnus. He’s stopped, however, as a hand wraps around his arm.

“Alec, wait.”

Alec takes a deep breath and turns back to his mother.

Maryse meets his conflicted gaze. “I didn’t just come to see you sworn in,” she starts. “I wanted to apologize to you, and to your sister, wherever she is.”

Alec’s brows furrow. “Why?”

Maryse takes a moment to collect her thoughts. “I realize that these last few years have been…” She shakes her head. “I haven’t been a very good mother to my children,” she confesses.

Alec says nothing, so she continues.

“When we lost Max, I pushed you all away. I closed myself off because I lost a son. Now I know my actions caused me to lose my other 3 children.” Her tone is sincere, regret laced in her words. Her frown grows. “I even yelled at you, blaming you for what happened to Max.” Her breath shudders and her shoulders shake. She looks back up to Alec with tears in her eyes. “I am _so_ sorry, Alec. What happened with Max wasn’t your fault. You did everything you could to save him. I can never express how sorry I am for saying those things to you and Isabelle,” she says, tears slipping down her face. “I know I’ve been so awful to the both of you, and I hope that I can make up for my mistakes.”

She looks up to him again, her gaze vulnerable. Alec can’t help but blink a few times in surprise.

_She’s…sorry?_

Half of Alec wants to snap at her, asking ‘why bother’ because she’s shown them no signs of love within the past four and a half years. But the other half wants to let her back in, give her a chance to prove herself.

He lets that half out.

“I won’t say I immediately forgive you,” he begins. “Four and a half years is a long time to act like that to your kids. But I appreciate that you came here. I’ve already come to accept that what happened with Max wasn’t my fault, and Magnus helped me realize that,” he states. He looks to see if she reacts to him saying anything about Magnus, but she doesn’t. “I’m open to talking to you again, Mother. That is, if you are able to accept the fact that I am who I am and I will not change that to fit into other people’s expectations.”

Maryse nods. “Of course,” she replies, looking to Luke, Izzy, Aline, and Magnus, who all crowd together in conversation. “You have found a good place among these people, and I can see how much they mean to you. Magnus Bane has indeed lived a life of…interesting choices,” she begins, making Alec suddenly nervous. “However, I can also see the way you two look at each other.” She looks back to Alec with a smile. “He brings out the best in you, Alec, and for that I cannot resent him.”

She steps forward, her hands resting on his shoulders. Her smile is warm and loving, something Alec hasn’t seen or felt from her in years. She raises a hand to caress his cheek.

“You’ve made me _so proud_ , Alec.”

Hearing those words makes Alec almost tear up. For years he’s felt inadequate, under the scrutiny of his parents without a bit of recognition. He spent years blaming himself over things he couldn’t control, forcing himself into a job that made him far less happy than what he really wanted to do. And yet here he is, overcoming those obstacles and proving not just to everyone else, but to himself that he is capable of doing great things.

His gaze falters from his mother down to his feet, examining how the grass bends underneath his dark boots.

“Alexander,” a familiar, cool tone calls out. “There you are. Isabelle and Jace wanted to hear the story about you and—”

Magnus stops in his tracks as Alec turns to face him, revealing the presence of his mother. He blinks a couple times in surprise before his face pulls into a friendly smile.

“You must be Maryse,” he starts, extending his hand out politely to shake her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

Maryse smiles softly at him, though the storminess in her eyes persists. She reaches out, grasping Magnus’ ringed hand in her own and shaking it firmly. “A pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Bane.”

“Please, Magnus is fine,” he chuckles.

Maryse nods at his words as their hands fall from their handshake. She looks to Alec with an apologetic glint in her eyes before looking back down to her shoes. She reaches up to brush a strand of straight, dark hair behind her ear.

“I…I will admit that I’ve made many mistakes throughout these past few years,” she confesses, taking a deep breath after the initial statement. She looks up to meet Magnus’ gaze. “In the past, I carried horrible prejudices towards your people, and followed orders diligently against the Downworld. For that, I am sorry.”

Her apology shocks both Magnus and Alec, though Magnus contains his look of shock far more than Alec does.

“Though I may have had my prejudices in the past,” she starts again, looking to Alec. She presses her lips in a thin line before turning back to Magnus. “Seeing you stand by Alec through all of this…it’s all a mother could ask for her children.”

A teary-eyed smile pulls across her face as she steps forward, closer into Magnus’ space. Her hands come up to press gently against his arms.

“So thank you, Magnus Bane. Thank you for loving my boy.”

She doesn’t wait for either of them to say anything before she draws Magnus close, wrapping her arms around him in a warm, endearing hug. Magnus stills for a second, unsure of what exactly to do before he melts into the hug with a smile. He wraps his arms around Maryse, returning the embrace.

Alec looks at them with shocked surprise. His mother had never been the person to admit her faults. She was proud, carried herself confidently. But now…now here she was admitting that she’s make mistakes, that she had regrets. It’s the most vulnerable and human he’s ever seen his mother since Max’s death.

Maryse pulls away a moment later, patting Magnus’ shoulder with another smile that is much warmer than those she had before. She looks to Alec one last time before stepping away. “I should go find your father.”

Alec nods at that. “Take care, Mom.”

Maryse nods back at him, and with a steady inhale, she turns, disappearing into the crowd once more.

“I didn’t realize your mother was a hugger,” Magnus quips playfully as he watches Maryse disappear into the crowd.

Alec’s brows furrow, mouth curving down slightly into a frown. “She isn’t,” he retorts. “At least…she wasn’t.” He looks down at his hands.

Magnus turns towards him, his fingertips brushing against Alec’s palms. He intertwines their fingers. “ _Are you okay_?” He asks quietly, stepping closer to Alec.

Alec nods. “It’s just…it’s just different. I’ve never quite seen her like this.”

Magnus’ lips twitch up in a ghost of a smile. “She’s trying to fix her mistakes,” he starts. “Sew up open wounds. Give her time, Alexander. She’s a caring woman, and she loves you, Isabelle, and Jace dearly.”

“You can tell all that from just one conversation?”

Magnus chuckles. “No. But I can see it in the way she looks at you, how she talks about you to others.” He squeezes Alec’s hands lightly in his own. “I know you may be wary, but I promise you, she’s trying her best to rebuild her relationship with her children.”

Alec takes a deep breath, closing his eyes before sighing. “Okay,” he whispers out, golden eyes lifting back up to focus on Magnus. “But I’ll hold you to that promise.”

Magnus lets out a breathy laugh at that, pressing forward to deliver a chaste kiss to Alec’s lips. He pulls away a moment later. “Now c’mon,” he says, pulling Alec’s hand with him as he walks backwards. “Jace and Isabelle are _dying_ to hear that story.”

 

~~~~

 

The Hunter’s Moon is packed to the gills with people.

Not so many people that it’s uncomfortable, but enough to create a loud clamor amongst the chill tunes of music from the jukebox in the corner. The bar itself has been closed for the private celebration of Alec’s full reinstatement, as well as the celebration for Magnus’ succession as the High Warlock. Both Downworlders and police officers alike float throughout the bar, laughing and sharing drinks amongst the competitive games of pool in the back.

It’s a different feeling all around, seeing Downworlders and police officers getting along.

It feels good.

“So a little birdy told me you recently bought a place over here in Brooklyn,” Maia states as she brings a new round of beers to the open booth. She hands one over to Alec, who’s arm is wrapped around the back of the booth around Magnus. Luke, Izzy, Jace, Clary, and Simon all pack around the booth as well.

“Maia darling,” Magnus coos, taking his martini glass in hand. “This is a celebration! You shouldn’t have to be working.” He nods towards Clary. “Besides, I think your girlfriend here is starting to miss you.”

Maia smiles back at Magnus as she hands out the other glasses. She hands the last on to Clary, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. She hums. “I think the bar could fare without me for a little while,” she quips.

The others cheer as she sits down next to Clary, who leans against her gently.

“So,” Clary diverts, turning her attention back to Alec, “Is it true?” She asks. “Did you really move to Brooklyn?”

All eyes turn towards the pair and Alec looks to Magnus with a lopsided smile.

“Well…yeah,” he drawls out. “We moved back out here. There’s no sense in having to drive back and forth between Manhattan and Brooklyn. I dare say this city’s growing on me,” he teases.

Simon perks up at that. “But wait, what about you Magnus?” He asks.

Magnus takes a sip of his martini. “I sold the house.”

Everyone blinks in surprise at that.

“Wait, really?” Izzy chimes in, leaning forward to look at him. “I thought you loved your house.”

Magnus shrugs. “I did…for a time,” he starts. “But getting nearly killed multiple times in that house just screams ‘move’,” he chuckles. “Besides, if I let Alexander get a place all by himself, he’d have to decorate himself. That’s a horror story just waiting to happen.”

Another round of laughter erupts from the group, and Alec just leans in to press a kiss against his temple.

“Can we just take a moment to appreciate the fact that Alec not only took down Valentine, but also happened to put that bitch Camille behind bars?” Jace adds.

Maia chimes in at that. “Oh god, that trial was _hilarious_ ,” she laughs. “I feel bad for that poor lawyer. There was no way she was going to win that. Neither the Downworld or the police would allow it.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Magnus chimes in. “Oh wait,” he trails looking down at his glass before chuckling and taking another sip of his drink.

Alec smiles over at him. Camille’s trial was just a few weeks before his reinstatement. Both Luke and Lydia allowed him to take the lead in prosecuting Camille for her crimes against the Downworld and against the 17 others she framed Magnus for. Though there was a bit of a fight in court, the overwhelming amount of evidence and testimonies from everyone related to the case sealed her fate. The court ultimately decided that she’d serve life over in the Idris Detention Facility, one of the most secure facilities in the U.S.

As for Jonathan, he was also taken into custody. His trial coincided with Camille’s, and he was also proven guilty of his crimes and charged appropriately with multiple life sentences and over 100 counts of murder. From what Lydia heard last, Jonathan had been transferred to another facility separate from Camille’s, and was also on the list for receiving the death penalty.

Needless to say, neither of them would see the light of day anytime soon.

And since then, it’s been relatively peaceful. Magnus seems happier than he’d been in months, and his inclusion back into the Downworld has him working diligently to rebuild the Downworld and establish a set of rules that stands for peace and harmony.

Alec leans forward once more to press another kiss to Magnus’ temple.

“ _I love you,_ ” he whispers.

Magnus’ smile doesn’t falter as he looks to Alec, cheeks flushed under the gentle lighting of the bar. “ _I love you too,_ ” he whispers back, leaning in to chastely kiss him again.

The sound of glass clinking stirs them from each other and towards the bar.

Luke stands close to the bar, his tall frame making him clearly visible to everyone there. He holds a bottle of champagne in his hands as he lifts it up. The room quiets as he speaks. “Thank you, everyone, for coming here tonight. Tonight, we celebrate the fall of Valentine, and the victories of both Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane.” A series of whoops and cheers erupt from the crowd. Luke turns to Alec and Magnus. “I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Alec over these past few months, and I’ve known Magnus for years after meeting him in the Downworld. Both of you are amazing people, and both of you deserve to revel in this victory.”

He turns back towards Maia, who has also followed him to the bar. She hands him a bottle opener. He sticks it in the bottle, and within seconds, the cork pops off with a subtle boom, and everyone erupts in laughter and cheers. He holds up the bottle of champagne, which leaks a little with the liquid that fizzed over.

“To the Downworld!” Luke cheers loudly, lifting his glass. The other Downworlders—Maia, Raphael, and Magnus among the many—raise their glasses in unison, letting out whoops and cheers. Luke smiles brightly, lifting the glass again. “To the BPD!”

Alec raises his glass then, as well as Jace, Clary, Simon, Izzy, and the other members of the force. They let out their own series of cheers and the sound of clinking glass fills the bar.

Magnus turns towards Alec. “Congratulations, Mr. Lightwood,” Magnus teases with a smile, tilting his glass forward.

Alec returns his bright smile, clinking his glass delicately against Magnus’. “And to you, Mr. Bane.”

They take another drink before rising to mingle amongst the crowd. Alec gets pulled in various directions, talking to both Downworlders and police officers alike. He receives praises and congratulations galore. Aline even meets up with him, sharing old stories from when they were on the Manhattan force together with Luke and Izzy.

It’s a moment of joy.

Pure, unbridled joy.

He isn’t sure how much longer it is, but it’s possibly his third beer when the music, the commotion, and the people start to get a little too much for him. He weaves through the crowd, finding Magnus over by the bar, talking with Lydia, who also made her appearance at the party. Alec greets her with a smile and a hug before stationing himself next to Magnus, listening in silence as they talk.

His eyes grow heavy soon, though, and Lydia seems to take notice.

“I’m sorry,” Lydia apologizes. “I think I’m starting to bore your poor boyfriend to death,” she jokes, stepping back. “I’ll let you two have a moment.” With a nod, she walks off, disappearing into the crowd.

Magnus watches as she leaves before turning to Alec, chuckling as he tries to keep his tired eyes open. Magnus reaches up, brushing the pads of his fingertips across Alec’s cheeks. “Tired?”

Alec hums, leaning into his touch. “I’m okay,” he lies. “Are you enjoying the party?”

Magnus’ eyes don’t leave his, his smile unwavering. “It is fun,” he admits. “Though I think if Luke drinks any more, he’ll become a little too cuddly for my taste.” They both laugh at that. Magnus’ laughter dies out gently before fixating his gaze back on Alec. “I know I’m usually all for parties but…what do you say we get out of here?”

Alec huffs out another laugh at that. He looks away towards the other guests, seeing that they’re all still enjoying themselves. He nods his head slightly, attempting to blink away the haze settling in his head. “ _Yes_ ,” he breathes out, directing his gaze back to Magnus.

Magnus’ smile grows wider as he reaches up, pressing his hand against Alec’s bicep, quietly directing him towards the exit.

 

~~~~

 

The flat is perfectly peaceful, and Alec feels a thousand times better the second he steps into the entryway. He shrugs off his light jacket, hanging it on the rack near the door as Magnus pads into the kitchen, reaching into the cupboard and taking out two wine glasses. Alec laughs at the gesture.

“Are you really having another glass of wine?” Alec asks in disbelief.

“Of course,” Magnus retorts, pouring a glass. “I told you before, didn’t I? One can never have too many glasses of Merlot.” He gestures for Alec to follow him as they walk out from the kitchen and out to the balcony that overlooks the city of Brooklyn. The view is spectacular, and it’s one of the many reasons the both of them fell in love with the place.

Magnus turns back towards Alec, handing him a glass of wine. It isn’t full by any standards, perhaps just enough for a few gulps, but it’s enough for a toast. Magnus offers his glass for a toast. “To us,” he says endearingly.

Alec smiles back at him, delicately clinking their classes together. “To us.”

They take a gentle sip of the Merlot, before placing their glasses on the ledge, looking out at the skyline.

“Sometimes I forget how painstakingly long ceremonies and celebrations can be,” Alec states, looking down at his hands. “It can be fun, sure. But after the first hour, it just gets unbearable.”

Magnus chuckles at that, taking another sip of his wine. “True.” He turns towards Alec, stepping close enough so that Alec catches the scent of sandalwood. “But I can’t say that the ceremony was a total waste. After all, I _do_ love a man in uniform,” he adds eyes falling to the badge that rests over Alec’s heart. His fingers press against the golden metal, down his pecks to his abdominal muscles and then back up across Alec’s chest and shoulders.

Alec hums in appreciation at the action. “I’m sure you do, love,” he mumbles softly as his nose brushes against Magnus’. He can feel the steady breath against his lips, indicating how teasingly close they are to one another. He could pull away briefly, and revel in the whine he’s sure would bubble from Magnus’ throat. He could tease him by tracing his thumb against those plump lips, by watching those deep brown eyes darken at his motions. It would be so easy.

But he doesn’t do any of that, for its far easier to lean in, slotting his lips against Magnus’, molding against the height of his cupid’s bow and the softness of his lips.

Magnus sighs into the kiss almost immediately, ringed fingers finding the sides of his neck and teasing the strands at his nape. They exchange a few long, languid, and passionate kisses until they’re both breathless on the terrace.

Alec breaks from the kiss slowly, smile curving over his features as he keeps his eyes closed. He lifts his lips to Magnus’ forehead to press on last kiss there before nodding his head towards the distance. Magnus turns around towards the sunset overlooking the city. He sighs as Alec’s form molds to his, arms winding around his waist and head resting on his shoulder.

They sway silently as Magnus’ hands find Alec’s, slotting their fingers together. They stay in that exact position, watching the sun dip underneath the distant skyline of the city he’s vowed to protect.

With one last kiss to Magnus’ temple, he mutters those three meaningful words in his ear.

And for once, everything feels right.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow…
> 
> Wow wow wow
> 
> I can’t believe it.  
> To be honest, I’m shaking. I’m full of so many emotions right now. This project has been my biggest one that I’ve ever done, and I’m so glad that you’ve allowed me to share it with you guys. It’s been a story 8 months in the works, with twists and turns beyond belief. I’ve grown so attached to this story, and seeing your comments and kudos about this have made me so happy.  
> I’m sad to see it go, but with this project coming to an end, it’s safe to say that it’ll open new avenues for me. I have some more stories planned, so hopefully I'll return soon with another fic! 
> 
> You can find me over on [tumblr](https://biconicmagnusbane.tumblr.com/) or on [twitter!](https://twitter.com/the_biconic_mb) Come say hello anytime! :)
> 
> Until then lovelies!! ❤️  
> -Amanda
> 
> Edit: THERE IS NOW A POLL ON TWITTER!!! Come vote for the choice you want to see next!  
> If you don't have a twitter, come over to tumblr and send me an ask or DM and I'll tally the votes!
> 
> xoxo


End file.
